Things might be looking sorry for Mathare United at this stage of the season.It would be easy to quit, given their poor start but Thursday’s move to part ways with coach Boniface Omondi could for optimists provide a route back for the Slum Boys.As the aforementioned coach made what was his last post-match interview as Mathare United head coach in a 5-0 hammering by Kenya Police on Wednesday, he couldn’t stop but note his players lack in confidence.Mercurial Tusker ranked best Kenyan club ahead of record champions Gor Mahia“That is the big problem we have now,” Omondi said when asked about the lack of belief in the team. “In terms of confidence, it is like our players believe that they can’t do it or make a run of two wins in a row.”Drawing back from last Saturday’s result – where Mathare lost 5-1 to Kakamega Homeboyz, Omondi couldn’t find a perfect response to how his players lost the touch they had stumbled upon in the previous match when they recorded a 3-1 come-from-behind victory over Bidco United.“My job as a coach is to make them believe that they can do it [win],” he said.Unfortunately, not under his watch as goalkeeper trainer Samuel Koko was appointed manager on temporary basis before a new head coach steps in.##NAJAVA_MECA_6996908##Confidence could be one thing that he (and the permanent manager) address in the team, but so should their defense.Mathare United rank as the league’s worst defense having conceded a total of 27 goals in 10 matches, 5 more than Vihiga Bullets occupying a place above them.What’s more concerning is the number of early goals they let in during games, something that ex-manager Omondi alluded to as ailing the team.“It is frustrating,” he said. “Our undoing in the few past matches has been conceding goals in the first five to ten minutes then struggling to find a way back.”Often caught open while deploying a high-line defense that was clearly uncoordinated, Kenya Police found it easy to get space behind it. A rejig is desperately needed.Boost for Nairobi City Stars as highly-rated winger returns ahead of Gor Mahia clashAsked about plans to bring in new players in the team, Omondi had his intentions clear on adding bodies on defense but held facts to how hard that would be going by the club’s financial status.The team’s attack – with 10 goals and three league shut-outs – could flatter to deceive but definitely not on the list of big concerns the man in Mathare United’s technical area will have to endure sleepless nights over.Mathare United take on fourth placed KCB in an early kick-off match at the Kasarani Annex grounds on Saturday.
