THE STAR:After a disappointing previous season in which they finished second from the bottom, new Mathare United tactician Boniface Omondi has vowed to transform the side into title contenders.
The Slum Boys were relegated to the second division before a recent court ruling restored them to the Kenyan Premier League.
During an exclusive interview on Sunday, Omondi revealed that he had landed a role he had wanted for long and that he would use it to turn the club around.
“I’ve been a Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) member since I was nine. It has also been my dream to coach Mathare United. I’m honoured take this position,” Omondi said.
He added that a disastrous campaign last season is now history.
“True, the team struggled last season but I’d like to say that bygones are bygones. We are hoping for a successful season and, like the other teams in the league, are preparing to win our games. If we are fortunate enough, we may even go on to win the league.”
In the wake of the fans’ ballooning displeasure with the side, Omondi promise to make things right with a superb season.
“Of course, the club is constantly under pressure to perform. I do hope our fans continue to show up in large numbers to support us. We will not let them down,” said Omondi.
The Slum Boys fell 2-1 to Nzoia Sugar in their season-opener at Utalii grounds but Omondi believes his young players have a bright future.
“In my opinion, this is a new team that is ready for a fresh start. I say this because the club has a new coach and the entire team has been revamped,” he added.
“We have just seven players who have previously played in the Premier League while some don’t even have Super League experience. We recruited them from clubs in the lower leagues,” Omondi explained.
Omondi reckons keeping a supply of quality players requires the Slum Boys to revert to their grassroots culture.
“Over the years, our tradition has been to assemble a top-flight team comprising players from our respective 16 zones. That was the original goal of establishing the MYSA program: to develop players capable of competing effectively on the top-tier,” he said.
“We were able to recruit 27 new players, with the encouraging fact that 90 per cent of those chosen were from MYSA regions. Of course, we have the option of selecting players who have not gone through the MYSA system, but naturally, we would prefer to have those whom we have developed,” Omondi said.
“This makes the job easier since these are players familiar with how our system operates, “Omondi explained.
