It is not a hidden secret that Shabana FC, under the tutelage of coach Peter Okidi, will be in the market for a centre forward once the transfer window opens. The club lost their lead striker Mathew Tegisi to Tanzanian outfit Pamba Jiji. The lanky forward departs with five goals to his name, underperforming his XG( expected goals) of 7.14, but coming in clutch for the Gusii based side.In their second season in the topflight and now hosting matches at Gusii stadium, Shabana are on an upward trajectory. Their start of the season looked rather disappointing for them but Okidi’s men are now playing very well.The gaffer:Peter Okidi (PO) on the wheels.Mwalimu👊💪 pic.twitter.com/wcFtFwlzMv— Shabana Fc Kenya (@Shabanafckenya) December 27, 2024 However, Shabana is lacking two things: A bit of luck out of possession, and a player who is consistently converting the chances they are creating, especially now, with the departure of Tegisi.With the mid-season transfer window nigh, we take a look at players who could and should be on Okidi’s wishlist to improve his team’s efficiency for the months to come in our recruitment analysis.Okidi’s style of play and developing a profileTo evaluate potential new signings, we first have to establish what Shabana have done well so far under Okidi, what playing style are they using, and what a potential new striker needs to do for the team.Shabana started the season playing a 4-4-2 formation, but after a turbulent start and a managerial change the team now set’s up in a 4411/4141 formation. Upfront things stayed the same in a way, the only difference being instead of an out and out forward, a more creative number 10 has been employed behind Tegisi. Enter Brian Michira. 👟⚽ Brian Michira MigiroⓂ️1️⃣0️⃣National Duty🇰🇪 🇰🇪🇰🇪@michirabryan#SportPesaNaShabana pic.twitter.com/P7w5JZwDdm— Shabana Fc Kenya (@Shabanafckenya) December 29, 2024 Shabana create their shots from a variety of positions, with goals coming from different settings like corners, long passes and crosses. Still, there is a pattern of crosses and passes from the wings into the box leading to shots.Looking at the crossing zones below, we can see that Shabana cross from different positions on the pitch. On the right side, the crossing zones are spread out wider and the success rate is slightly lowerWhile on the left side, the zones are rather clear and the success rate is slightly higher.The players playing there explain this because most of the crosses from the left are from James Mazembe, a winger turned into a left back, who also likes to play crosses out of the half-field.Another take away from the crossing chart shared is that Shabana managed to find many players in the centre of the field around the penalty spot (33), meaning most of their crosses are well- placed and end up in good spots.Shabana is also very aggressive in recovering the ball in the opponent half, with a high intensity and trying to win the ball back as high as possible. This means that the striker has to work hard against the ball, trigger and direct the press, engage in counter-press at all times and play at high speed against the ball .Putting all these things together, we can now create a profile for a prolific striker that can help Shabana in the second half of the season.Driven by his inner circle, Ryan Ogam steps into the limelight with bigger ambitionsFirstly, he has to have good finishing – especially from crosses and on the counter after recoveries in the opposing half. Secondly, a good work ethic against the ball – being able to play in a high pressing line and being quick and willing to engage in the counter- press.Thirdly, the player should not be a young talent with no experience at senior level .Last but not least, the player needs to be good enough to have an instant impact at the level of play .Up next, we examine three players who fit the profile and could be interesting for Shabana FC.1. Moses Shummah- Kakamega HomeboyzThe first striker we will examine is currently with the Harambee Stars, Moses Shummah. He is regaining his scoring touch for Kakamega Homeboyz and is currently on seven goals. Moses Shumah over the moon after first goal in 10 months for Kakamega HomeboyzShummah is a tall striker who can hold his own in every duel he takes, but he is not physically imposing.His strength lies in his work ethic, ball security, position and finishing.He covers a lot of ground and space consistently, fulfilling his tactical tasks, and helps teammates wherever possible as seen in his this season heat map.In attack, Shummah has elite spatial awareness, which allows him to be quick and accurate about his positioning. He times his runs exceptionally well, and is always finding the blind spots of centre-backs in the box, being able to get open in the box often.If we also examine the placement of the shots Shummah has taken this season, we can see that Shummah is great at placing his finishes near the post. Even low XG opportunities are well placed (Case in point his goal against Kenya Police FC) are hard to save for opposing goalkeepers, making Shummah a threat at any timeMimi ni Patrick Matasi. Kenya One. pic.twitter.com/iCoTt49lgq— Eric Njiru ⚽️ (@EricNjiiru) December 22, 2024 2. Meshack Karani, Mara SugarKarani is an incredibly physical player, constantly looking to run behind the opponent defensive line in counterattacking situations and finding space in the box. He can always bring himself into position in the six-yard box, especially around the penalty spot, where Shabana creates the most goalscoring chances. Karani is a decent finisher in the box, not only with his right foot but also his head. Ambani hopeful of ending lengthy trophy drought at AFC LeopardsWhile he won’t win a lot of direct head balls, Karani is great at getting infront of defenders for crosses and finishing with his first touch.Out of possession, in the counter press, Karani looks to direct the press and force defenders into obnoxiously physical duels. He is also great at converting these high recoveries into goalscoring opportunities.Karani will be a good fit for Shabana – could be a low-risk option as an experienced striker with a knack for scoring goals, but also majorly bringing the rest of the players into play.3.Donald Ange-Kibera Black StarsA player who looked like his career was spiralling into nothing just a half year ago, Ange has done it in the Premier League with Mathare United, and after a rather forgettable stint at Kariobangi Sharks, he has rekindled his form at Kibera Black Stars in the NSL. He is currently on nine goals for his side.
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Ange is a fox in the box, always knowing where the crosses and second balls will wind up, always finding space and always being one step ahead of the defenders with his quick reactions. He has good presence in the box and is a target man in the half- spaces, especially on the right side. From the Kibera Black Stars matches seen this season, Ange is finding lots of shots in the centre of the box, where Shabana are excelling at creating. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8598288##Although Ange’s shot placement is not ideal, he makes it work with good power and timing, making him a good finisher overall.He is also a clever striker with good physical tools and decent finishing.
