Mukangula the new dynamo in Leopards midfield

AFC Leopards midfielder Eugene Mukangula is delighted with the game time he’s receiving at the club and the trust head Patrick Aussems has shown him.

At the onset of the campaign, Mukangula struggled to nail down a regular starting slot in the team but this has improved lately and he believes the criticism levelled against him during the rough patch helped him bounce back stronger.

He however admits he still has a long way to go and a lot more to do.

“I try to be there; to give my level best when assigned any duty by my coach. I need to defend regularly and try to make space to score goals for my team-mates,” Mukangula said in a wide-ranging interview with Citizen Digital, noting that his upturn in form is down to Belgian coach Aussems who replaced club legend Antony ‘Modo’ Kimani.

“The arrival of coach Aussems has seen the team improve significantly and has helped the team remain as a unit. With his introduction of magnificent play, intensity and aggression, he has a philosophy of working and believes in it which gives confidence to the players,” Mukangula said.

AFC have been under pressure to regain the fine form they had enjoyed in the first leg of the current Premier League campaign, as the race to lift the title for the first time since 1998 grows tougher.

However, Mukangula believes the mood is positive as the team believes they still have a chance to win the title come the end of the season despite the slip against Sofapaka that cost them the much needed points of going top of the KPL standings. They are at the moment placed third on the log having accumulated 37 points in 19 games, two points behind KCB and one behind Tusker.

“That draw against Sofapaka can only make us stronger and improve on our character heading to the next three fixtures given that the schedule is tight and you find yourselves playing a game after every 48 hours,” he said.  “I can tell you the mindset is right,” Mukangula added.

Mukangula’s recent form, supreme reading of the game and agility to defend regularly has marked him as one of the key players Ingwe coach will count on to scoop the KPL title from defending champions and rivals Gor Mahia.

Earlier in January, Ingwe chairman Dan Shikanda promised to reward each player in the squad with a house and other goodies if they win the title after a 22-year drought.

Ingwe’s next three fixtures will be against Wazito, Kariobangi Sharks and Bandari respectively as they seek to end their title hoodoo.