AFC Leopards new coach Tom Juma maintains the club have to sign new players before the new season commences, saying the squad is already stretched as a result of not signing players in the last two transfer windows.Ingwe were under a FIFA transfer embargo for the last year for failing to pay some of their former foreign players, and when it looked like there was some light at the end of the tunnel, more sanctions landed after they were stunned with a KES 20 million bill by the world football governing body. They are supposed to pay their former coach, Patrick Aussems, for a breach of contract.##NAJAVA_MECA_7390477##The club says it is working around the clock to have the sanctions lifted and have been engaging potential signings in talks. Some have already started training with the team with the hope that they will finally be registered by the 12-time league champions.Juma is hopeful that the sanctions will be lifted so that they can recruit players, as his youthful squad is already stretched. He also disclosed that young midfielder Owen Mboya and first-choice goalkeeper Levis Opiyo are currently sidelined with injuries.Exclusive: KRU set to part ways with Shujaa head coach Damian McGrath”The young boys from the youth team have really pushed us for the last 2-3 seasons and I can say that they have really done well and we are grateful to them for the job well done. But for now, we have to sign players this window, we have to strengthen the squad because some of these other players have picked up long-term injuries; Owen (Mboya) and Levis Opiyo are out, and the squad is becoming thinner by the day,” he said.The tactician believes that they can compete for titles next season if they are permitted to bring in new players.”If we get to sign players, I am confident that we can compete with the other teams. We need around nine to ten players to have a better team. We need to beef up all the departments, from the goalkeeping to the attack department,” he added.Nzoia Sugar set to sign more than twenty players following mass exodus
