Mette rallies Tusker ahead of high-stakes FKF Cup clash with Bidco
Tusker FC head coach Julien Mette celebrates after his side secured a hard-fought 1-0 win against in-form Murang'a Seal at Wanguru Stadium on Sunday February 25, 2026. PHOTO COURTESY
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Tusker FC head coach Julien Mette has urged his players to bring a ruthless, killer mentality to Friday's FKF Cup tie against Bidco United at Police Sacco Stadium.
Mette underlined that any complacency could prove fatal against an underdog side hungry for an upset, while the Cup reians theire only realistic route to a silverware this term.
The match, scheduled for 3:0 p.m, sees Tusker enter as clear favourites, but Mette is taking no chances.
Speaking ahead of the fixture, he stressed the danger of facing a motivated opponent in cup competition.
"Everybody likes the cup because the underdog can win and tomorrow we are not the underdog and that's why we are in danger so I need to warn the players about this," Mette said.
He revealed he had been deliberately tough on the squad in training to sharpen their focus and switch their mindset.
"Any big mistake could kill the team so I was really hard on them yesterday for them to switch mentality and they responded very well."
Mette is determined to guide Tusker to cup glory, highlighting the prize of a place in the CAF Confederation Cup – a competition he believes would offer valuable exposure and development for the club.
"100 per cent I want to win the title because after the title we can play CAF Confederation which is a very good competition in Africa so it is a lot of pressure but good pressure."
Reflecting on Tusker's progress in the tournament so far, Mette pointed to improvement in mentality as a key positive. In the first match against Shabana, he felt his side dominated in passing, play and chances despite conceding an unlucky goal. In the most recent outing, the team showed resilience by overcoming a "stupid goal" to secure victory.
"The last game the thing most important was the mental, we conceded a stupid goal but we managed to win at the end of the game which means that the mental part that was a weakness, maybe is now a strength or let's say we are improving in that."
For Friday's clash, Mette made it clear that style of play alone will not be enough.
"Tomorrow, the way we play will not be the most important. If we play well but lose nobody cares so we need to see a killer mentality tomorrow."
With Tusker aiming to maintain their strong cup form and keep alive hopes of silverware, Mette's message is straightforward: switch on, stay focused and deliver the ruthless edge required to progress.
Bidco United, meanwhile, will be looking to capitalise on any complacency and produce a cup upset that would send shockwaves through the competition.
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