Ulinzi Stars head coach Bernard Mwalala believes that his charges have performed well in the season coming to an end soon despite being knocked out of the Mozzart Bet Cup by Tusker FC on Saturday in the semifinal.The Soldiers were eliminated courtesy of substitute Eric Otieno’s goal at the death of the match after holding Tusker for the better part of the game.Speaking to Mozzart Sport even amidst speculations that he will be leaving the side, the former Kakamega Homeboyz tactician did not delve into the issue but instead chose to reflect on the team’s season in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League and the Mozzart Bet Cup.##NAJAVA_MECA_7268648##In their last Cup appearance in 2021, the Soldiers were eliminated at the quarters by Nairobi City Stars.”As we approach the end of the season, I believe that we have achieved a lot as a team despite the in-house challenges that we have had all season. Everyone must appreciate what this team has achieved this season, a team with a blend of new players with some of them playing in the topflight for the first time. Everyone sacrificed a lot and they fought with everything to even get to the semifinal of the Mozzart Bet Cup and I am very proud of these players. I joined the team at a time that did not allow me to have a proper pre-season with the team, and it has been a new experience for me as well as I learnt the ropes in a military-backed side,” Mwalala said.The four-time Kenyan champions are hoping to have their best points tally since 2018 when they last surpassed the 44-point mark, with a possibility of finishing the season with 56 points should they win all their remaining matches.How Tusker can help Kakamega Homeboyz secure continental football”With four matches left to play, we have 44 points and I believe we will have an even better finish. the team has not surpassed 44 points for the past couple of years, with the only better finish at the end of the season being in 2018 when they had 54 points. We have a chance to do even better in the remaining matches. When you compare what we have done this season with the recent ones, you will appreciate what these players have done amidst various challenges. The team’s fanbase has grown and you can attribute that to the team’s improved performance. my focus was to win the cup but we did not get that far,” he added.Further, the tactician, without divulging details, has challenged the team’s management to sort out the in-house issue affecting the club as they set up for the upcoming season.”I hope that the management will look into the areas that perhaps the team has been lacking in that falls within their mandate. Most importantly, as a team, we have to ensure that we have depth just like other teams going into the new season so that we do not struggle when one player is out for one reason or the other,” Mwalala finished.
