Leopards Juma cautious on title talk

AFC Leopards football operations manager Tom Juma prefers talks on Ingwe’s ability to clinch the league title this season to be muted for now.

Juma was reacting to euphoria in Leopards fan base singing ‘this is our year to shine’ following the team’s recent upturn in form.

 “We respect their(fans) talks about this being our season to win the league title. However on our part we are focusing on winning matches day in day out and remaining consistent,” the former Ingwe player said, adding, “We never go to play for a draw in any match and so as long as we are leading after the final whistle we are satisfied with that regardless of how we did it.”

Juma has also congratulated captain Robinson Kamura for doing what was needed in a spur of a moment leading to a straight red card for preventing a possible goal from City Stars on Sunday.

“It is very possible that the red card is the cause for our win on Sunday since if Kamura (Robinson) had not fouled Maloba then it would have been a clear chance to score to take us 1-0 down hence the search of an equalizer.

That red card possibly was our game changer and the team played as a unit, with hunger to score, which bore us fruits through Hansel’s last minute winning goal,” Juma underscored.

Leopards have registered a three-match winning streak, the first under head coach Patrick Aussems who was appointed last month to take over from the then interim coach Antony ‘Modo’ Kimani.

The weekend 1-0 win over City Stars lifted the 12-time champions to 28 points in third position, seven points behind leaders Tusker but with two matches in hand.

Ingwe next play Vihiga United away in Mumias while City Stars square it out with log leaders Tusker here in Nairobi.