After surviving relegation by a whisker, Sofapaka have appointed veteran coach Robert Matano to lead them in the upcoming 2024/2025 campaign and turn around their fortunes.The club narrowly avoided the drop in the 2023/2024 season, settling for a playoff position, and managed to retain their league spot by defeating Naivas FC in the playoffs.Matano, a four-time Kenyan Premier League winner, faces significant challenges in rebuilding the team.##NAJAVA_MECA_8224833##The 60-year-old coach is expected to replicate his success from the 2009 season when he guided Sofapaka to the top tier and won the title in their debut season.1. Replacing key losses One of Matano’s immediate concerns is replacing key players who left the club last season, including Darius Msagha, Jacob Onyango, and Baron Otieno. Restoring the club’s former glory is a daunting task, especially after Sofapaka flirted with relegation for much of last season and their overall performance in recent years has been unimpressive.2. Defensive frailties AFC Leopards reportedly courting Kenyan forward released by DR Congo sideFans will closely watch how Matano addresses the team’s defensive issues, as Sofapaka conceded 53 goals last season, the second-worst in the league.In contrast, Matano’s previous team, Tusker, conceded only 26 goals, the third-least in the league.3. Attacking woesAdditionally, Batoto ba Mungu struggled to find the back of the net last term, which was evident in the playoffs, which saw them wasting several chances.Matano’s ability to solve this issue will be crucial, and the club is expected to be active in the transfer window in the coming days.4. Assistant coach conundrumFollowing the exit of Zedekiah Otieno, Ezekiel Akwana was brought in to oversee the rest of the season.However, Akwana cannot continue as head coach due to not having the necessary CAF A certificate.Fans are eager to see whether Matano will retain Akwana, who helped the team avoid relegation, or bring in his own backroom staff.Matano returns to Sofapaka after cutting ties with Tusker
