Murang'a Seal blip due to blunt attack, decries Abdallah

With just two rounds of the 2024-25 FKF-Premier League season played, sophomores Murang'a Seal head coach Juma Abdallah has rallied his troops to work on their precision after they fell to a 2-0 loss at home in the hands of the Kenya Commercial Bank FC last Sunday.

The Murang’a-based side suffered their first defeat of the season after winning their new season’s opener with a solitary goal from veteran midfielder Joe Waithira against Ulinzi Stars.

According to Abdallah, had his team been sharper enough in front of goal, the results would have been different, having squandered three clear-cut chances in the opening 20 minutes.

Their wastefulness caught up with them when the bankers broke the deadlock in the 45th minute through Haniff Wesonga’s goal before Patrick Otieno added the second to put the match to bed.

"We played well and dominated the game until we conceded the first goal, but had we been clinical and sharper in front of goal, my boys would have won the game in the first twenty minutes,” rued Abdallah.

“After conceding, we somehow lost our control, and we allowed our opponents [KCB] to come back into the game,” he added.

Despite losing the match in a fully packed SportPesa Arena in Murang'a County, the tactician says he was impressed by his charges by sticking to their game plan, and he believes his forward line shall have sharpened their goal-poaching instincts before they play their next two matches.

“We have just started the season; I know my boys will improve because we are not in a tournament but in a League where you take a game after the other and mistakes that are committed in one game are corrected in the next match,” he expressed

“We are meeting [Kariobangi] Sharks next away from home – a tough test to my boys before hosting Mara Sugar, and I hope if we correct our mistakes early enough, we can get goals and six points.”

Under the tutelage of Abdallah, who was appointed head coach in January 2024 to replace the embattled Charles Nyaberi, Murang’a SEAL managed to survive the relegation scare by just two points after finishing 13th with 38 points from 34 rounds of matches. In their debut season in the top flight, Abdallah's charges won nine matches, drawing 11 times while losing 14.

Currently, SEAL sit 9th on the log with three points after two rounds of play.

KCB, Kariobangi Sharks, Bandari and Posta Rangers occupy the first four top positions respectively, after garnering four points each from two matches through, they are separated by goal difference.