Sofapaka head coach David Ouma has spoken in great lengths about a new brand of football that he is ready to unleash in his new look side as he promises in his words “to bring back the old Sofapaka.”From face value, there is absolutely no guilt in believing that he is referring to the prolific 2009 squad that went all the way to clinch the Kenya Premier League title in their debut season.Back to life, and back to reality then. Sofapaka are at the back end of an Elite Pre-season Tournament that saw them crash out in the group stages after finishing third in Pool A with 4 points, the lowest points total among the FKF Premier League sides represented.💪 Working under the scorching sun🔜 Stepping our preparations ahead of the new season in a month’s time#BatotoBaMungu pic.twitter.com/SebJCxZH9m— Sofapaka FC (@FC_Sofapaka) September 28, 2022 With lots of change to the side, Sofapaka still look to be facing the same demons they came up against last season; goal scoring.The early pre-season stats from the Elite Tournament had Sofapaka as the fourth worst attacking side in the group stages.A total of four goals, that came in a single match against lowly ranked Division 1 side Rainbow FC, only topped that of Kariobangi Sharks’ two goals and the Division 1 duo of the aforementioned Rainbow FC and Mully Children’s Family FC’s three and zero goals respectively.The 30 goals tally in the FKF Premier League last season was only higher than 3 other sides, two of which were relegated. Coach Ouma in his post-match interviews has been vocal about the issue that has in the recent days culminated in the acquisition of Ugandan striker David Kasiyre from KCCA FC that maybe isn’t just enough.It is clear that the tactician has been taking some hard lessons in the FKF Premier League that he plans to handle in the upcoming season.“Last year the opponent would analyse us in one way, we have to learn how to unlock them in another way,” the Sofapaka coach noted straight after his team’s 4-0 victory over Rainbow FC.“For you to have a championship team, you must have versatility and this is what I am trying to do,” he added, referencing the various changes we should expect in his team moving forward.“I have been trying out to play without a striker in the team and with the entry of more strikers, I think we will be a complete team. The new challenge is about a player having to play in multiple positions, I give them a new position and it is up to them to do justice to it.”The coach further singled out the high level performances from his players in regards to switching roles, starting off with the new signing Samwel Olwande who started off at central defense before moving out to the right back position in the second half.Titus Achesa and Ambrose Sifuna also gathered heaps of praise for making instant impacts in their rather unnatural positions.Lucky Mweu and Alex Imbusia could be seen switching positions in game, especially in the presence of a dynamic midfielder in Joe Waithira who dictated the tempo in all the matches. Baron Oketch, with two goals in the tournament could only be labelled as ‘fantastic.’Around the changes, there seems to be a new offensive style in Sofapaka FC that the head coach is unwilling to let go. Whether it succeeds will be a matter of time but the open statement is “We are in the right progress. I will try to play the players to their extremes and certainly not to the positions they are used to.”
