All not lost despite Premier League promotion miss, says Fortune Sacco's Odero

National Super League side Fortune Sacco will have to try fight for yet another season in a bid to earn promotion to the Premier League, after the Kirinyaga-based side finished fifth in the standings last weekend, just outside the promotion play-off bracket by only four points.

Naivas, who finished third with 62 points in 35 matches, forced a promotion play-off on the final day after they stunned eventual champions Nairobi United 3-0. They edged out fourth-placed Darajani Gogo on head-to-head rule after both teams finished with 62 points.

Despite the disappointment, head coach Sylvestre Odero remains optimistic and proud of the progress made under his leadership.

“This season is done. The boys have fought so much and really pushed hard. I’m proud of their commitment and how they handled pressure in the closing stages. We are going to have a rest, then get back to training and work on a few things to have us ready for next season. We have learnt a number of things," stated Odero.

Odero, a CAF B license holder, took charge of the team in April following the resignation of Michael Etimong in March. Etimong stepped down after a poor run that saw him win only two of his last 10 games, drawing four and losing four.

The new gaffer oversaw an impressive turnaround in the subsequent 12 matches—losing only once.

“It’s been a good run considering the short time I’ve been in charge. This shows the potential of this team. Given time and the right conditions, Fortune Sacco can achieve great things," He recounted

“Through the experiences we’ve had this season; I can assure our fans that we’re going to come back stronger. We know the things that led to us finishing fifth, and if we correct these mistakes, we will be in the Premier League by the end of next season,” he said.

As the team heads into the off-season, the focus now shifts to planning and restructuring.

“We’re going to have a rest, then get back to training, now that we have learnt a number of things. Still, we’re going back to the drawing board. We’ll sit down with management, evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and focus on recruitment and retention of players - which is important. The lessons from this season are valuable,” he outlined.

Odero, a teacher by profession, pointed to defending set pieces as a major weakness that cost them dearly - something he plans to address during the off-season.

"We were undone by set pieces. Some goals came from throw-ins, others from free-kicks and corners. It’s been a recurring issue — all eight goals we conceded in 12 matches came from set pieces. But we’ll be looking to address this before next season," he explained.

He assured fans that the club has already begun laying the foundation for a stronger comeback and urged supporters to remain hopeful and patient as the club enters what he described as a period of transformation.

“This season our main objective was to get promoted to the Premier League. Unfortunately, we have not been able to achieve that, but come next season, I am assuring all our fans to be ready for good things ahead.”

“We are going to work very hard to ensure that, if all goes well, by the end of the first leg, we should already know that we are in a very good position to be promoted to the Premier League next season. I believe Fortune Sacco is a big team—it deserves to play at the highest level,” he concluded with optimism.

Nairobi United were crowned champions after finishing top with 72 points and earned a direct ticket to next season's Premier League. They were joined by APs Bomet, who finished runners-up—four points adrift of United. SS Assad and Muhoroni Youth were relegated to FKF Division One.