According to reliable reports, AFC Leopards seem to have secured the services of Nzoia Sugar midfielder Boniface Munyendo. The midfielder has had a good season at Nzoia Sugar aiding his side to a fourth place finish. The deep lying playmaker formed a very fruitful partnership with Kevin Juma, who has joined league champions Gor Mahia. The two played in a double pivot very well. How Kevin Juma could slot in at Gor Mahia while still accommodating Ernest WendoIn this tactical analysis piece, I set out to look at the profile of the deep lying playmaker noting how he will aid AFC Leopards with a couple of things they have struggled with this season. Boniface Munyendo may not be a very physically imposing figure in midfield but his industrious nature enables him to cover ground swiftly and effectivelyHis effective positional understanding allows his fellow midfielders to attack with precision when his team is in possession. What will wow the AFC Leopards faithful will be the midfielders ability to retain possession; his press resistance is top notch. With intelligent dropping of the shoulder to evade pressure from opposition players, the deep lying playmaker is able to pick out his teammates with pin point passes, He possesses a certain calmness with the ball that makes him the perfect suit for a possession based team. He mostly stays back when his team is attacking, operating as a deep lying playmaker, as stated above. Pulling the strings and looking to dictate play with his already stated excellent passing skills, accuracy and range. ##NAJAVA_MECA_7356955##In the recently concluded 2022/2023 season, the Patrick Aussems-led AFC Leopards has struggled to find the perfect partner for Musa Oundo in midfield, a tenacious midfielder who dominates his opponents in the duels, he is an aggressive and dominant midfielder. In him the role of destroyer has been sorted and now his partnership with Munyendo could bring about good tidings at Ingwe. Nzoia Sugar midfielder confirms departure to AFC LeopardsAFC Leopards have signed Boniface Munyendo as he brings a different dynamic with his ability to read play well. In possession, especially at an intense passing and possession based side like AFC Leopards, there is always the risk of conceding from transitions. A good example being the Mozzart Bet Cup semifinal against Kakamega Homeboyz. These opposition transitions cannot be contained majorly by only one midfielder. Munyendo therefore will aid in this due to his exceptional game reading ability. As Musa Oundo majorly gravitates to the left, AFC Leopards have suffered with balls into the right channels. With the set-up of the side it became rather easy for the opposition to play into the space and create dangerous chances. Munyendo in this instance will enable AFC leopards to have a proper base in defending the transition. The centre backs can take care of the opposition front man. Munyendo’s game reading ability will enable him to step up to look and intercept the pass. His impeccable game reading ability will allow him to curve his run so he can block the pass and press the opposition in-possession player well. As stated in the introduction, Munyendo’s on ball qualities are rivaled by very few players. At Nzoia FC he was employed well in the buildup phase. He was tasked with enabling the team to progress play well, getting the team higher up the pitch and starting attacks from deep. His ability to find a forward pass key in this. In most instances he would also drift to the right side, allowing the right back to push up. This he did when he was tightly marked at the centre in the buildup phase. This action enabled the player to get more space to look to dictate play. This action might sound common, as one might state Michael Mutinda of KCB or Keith Imbali of Kariobangi Sharks do this effortlessly. Well it is key as AFC Leopards did not have a player who could do this consistently. When pressed high AFC Leopards tended to go long into Ojo Olaniyi ( again drawing inspiration from their Mozzart Bet Cup semifinal against Kakamega Homeboyz) this heavily disrupted their play as winning the first or second ball proved difficult. In Munyendo they will now have an elite ball progressor through progressive carries and or passes to beat the opposition press and get the team playing. Exclusive: AFC Leopards set to offer Patrick Aussems new contractBoniface Munyendo will aid the AFC leopards team well; he could be deployed majorly in a double pivot with Musa Oundo or a midfield three with either Eugene Mukangula or Brian Wanyama. He will work well with the AFC Leopards system and help them especially in controlling the chaos. A signing to have our eyes on as to what the playmaker could achieve at AFC Leopards.
