Tusker could not have chosen a better time to face AFC Leopards in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) as they begin title defence against an Ingwe side that is in shambles.The Brewers will be brimming with confidence after commencing their season with aplomb, dispatching Gor Mahia 8-7 on penalties in the Super Cup following a 1-1 draw in regular time.AFC Leopards kickstart the season in stark contrast to Tusker as three-quarters of their squad has decamped to various destinations and with the club still serving a transfer ban, no new signings have been witnessed.👊|Matchday@AFCLeopards vs @tusker_fc in Thika from 1pm📺|Live on Startimes#AFCvsTusker pic.twitter.com/UkY6cJw8W6— FKF Premier League (@Officialfkfpl) September 26, 2021 Speaking to Mozzart Sport, Tusker FC wingback Daniel Sakari revealed that they are not focusing on Ingwe’s troubles but on starting the league on a high. “We have had reports that AFC Leopards are not in the best of situations but we are not thinking about that because we want to start the season strongly,”“We have been focusing on scoring, the morale in the camp is high and the confidence is good especially after the two CAF Champions League games and the winning mentality is high,” said the former Kariobangi Sharks man.The Brewers will be hoping to continue from where they left from last season in the league after edging Bidco United 2-1 to lift the league and surpass Ingwe league haul of 12 titles.AFC Leopards assistant head coach Tom Juma painted a grim picture of the season should the transfer embargo prevail and has been forced to rely on youth players ahead of the game. Match Day.🆚| AFC Leopards 🏟️| Thika Stadium⏰| 1pm EAT 📺| Startimes/Btv #KenyaMilele #Brewers4Life pic.twitter.com/mqvyCsGZ1X— 🏆Tusker FC (@tusker_fc) September 26, 2021 “We have not prepared well for the game, we have a number of players from the youth team, majority of the senior players have left and we are forced to rely on the youth team,”“We hope that things will change because if they don’t the season will be very difficult, we also hope that the ban will be lifted so that we sign a number of players,” said Juma.Tusker holds an advantage in the head to head record as they have won 16 of the last 27 games with Ingwe winning five and six draws being registered in the encounter.
