Sofapaka chairman Elly Kalekwa has praised head coach Robert Matano, even as the veteran coach is once again linked with a move to Tanzania, this time with Fountain Gate FC.This is the second time Matano has been linked with a Tanzanian club. Last year, he held negotiations with Tabora FC, but the deal collapsed in its later stages.##NAJAVA_MECA_8609594##The former AFC Leopards tactician joined Batoto Ba Mungu in the off-season from Tusker FC and has masterminded a resurgence in performance. They are currently seventh in the league table, a marked improvement from last season when they were in the relegation zone.Kalekwa identified discipline as the key factor Matano brought to the team.My dream is to make Kenya’s CHAN 2024 squad: Tusker striker Ogam“We have a veteran coach who is doing a great job. Matano has instilled discipline in the team, and we can see what he has already achieved since he took charge.He came in a few weeks before we started the season, and you can see we are getting positive results already. I feel as he continues with the team, the results will improve further. He is one coach I respect a lot, and I feel good to have him around,” Kalekwa said in an interview with Flashscore.The Sofapaka chairman also highlighted the difference between the current squad and last season’s, which eventually forced him to make changes.“Unlike last season, we now have a squad of players who are determined to play and get results, and from the look of things, we are already having a great season. But we want to do even better in the New Year.Kenya Police to have “little” activity in January transfer windowWhen you look at the players we have now, they want to fight for everything. Their passion, dedication, and desire to win are qualities we lacked last season. We didn’t have a group of players who wanted to play for the badge, which is why I was forced to release a number of them,” he explained.The football chief also noted the shift in attitude between the two seasons, describing last season as one of his worst.“Even in training sessions, you can see the players fighting for every ball. They want to achieve something, and they feel bad if they don’t get a positive result. It’s something we didn’t have last season.At one point, I couldn’t imagine Sofapaka going down. It was one of my worst seasons since Sofapaka was promoted to the top-flight league,” he explained.CHAN 2024 Draw to be staged in Nairobi
