When AFC Leopards was taken up by Belgian tactician Patrick Aussems, ardent followers of the den were highly expectant of a top and entertaining team, and boy did he deliver!Regardless of all the off-field issues that have hampered his team, the flexibility and attractiveness of his team has earned plaudits all over the country.In the current season, AFC Leopards have been keeping their work under the radar, slowly but surely building into something formidable. A cup semifinal slot and winning the Mashemeji Derby for the first time in seven years is something encouraging.If people talk about AFC Leopards, they talk about Aussems, Cliff Nyakeya, Jaffar Owiti, and Victor Omune. No one talks about AFC Leopards number 6. The glue of the team, one Musa Oundo.Aussems – We shot ourselves on the foot in Mozzart Bet Cup semifinalOundo has strutted into the AFC Leopards squad and made the holding midfield position his.In this piece, I will look to understand how coach Aussems sets his side up to get the best out of his midfield dynamo.The tactician alternates his build up structure between a 1-4-2-4 and a 1-3-2-5. This structure is mainly aimed at looking to lure the opponent’s press to get closer to Leopard’s goal while the forward line looks to pin the opposition last line of defense, majorly looking to create space between the lines.In the buildup phase, Oundo starts centrally, with the alternate midfielder in the double pivot more advanced. Creating an asymmetrical structure.In this phase, he can also drop as a right centre back but Oundo primarily operates in the central zone, behind the opposition first line of pressure.He has the positional intelligence to drop into the right half space to cover for the advancing fullback. In the buildup phase, he is tasked with looking to create triangles with the centre back to create options for the ball carrier when the team is building out with low output.He can be seen shuffling from one side to the other so that his team can circulate the ball in a similar manner. His progressive carries are also a joy to watch. He carries the ball, breaking the lines and setting up his side’s attacks through this progression.##NAJAVA_MECA_7268652##Attacking PhasePlaying in a deeper position does not mean Oundo will not move forward, however, in this instance, he has to gauge when the right time to supplement the attack is and when is the right time to stay back.When his team is in the progression to the creation phase, they look to take up a 1-3-2-5/1-2-4-4 structure. With Oundo operating in the central area to fill in the rest defense structure well, he can look to aid in ball circulation centrally too when they are on a settled attack.Aussems uses width in his approach, meaning the opposition lines are set to be stretched, however, with the level of defending increasingly growing in the league, AFC Leopards are facing deeper blocks in the league.The wingers do not majorly receive in dynamic positions to attack the opposition, they are mostly double-teamed and have to knock the ball back. This is where Oundo comes in, working as the outball when the attackers are under pressure.He leaves the occupation of the last line of the Leopards attack to, majorly, Brian Wanyama, Giovanni Lukhumwa and Eugene Mukangula. His main role in this phase is the outball and ensuring solidity of the rest defence structure.Musa Oundo is that midfielder 🧱 pic.twitter.com/MEcNpwTzNe— Vicky Zola🇰🇪 (@victoramunya) May 14, 2023 Out of PossessionBeing the gel to AFC Leopards rest defence structure, Oundo is majorly tasked with stopping opposition counterattacks, a role he carries out with aplomb. When transitioning into a defensive block, he forms a double pivot in AFC Leopards 1-4-4-2 or the screening role in AFC’s 1-4-1-4-1, a role he has been tasked with in the rather big games.Noting the opposition pose dangerous players in the central attacking areas, players like Tyson Otieno of Kariobangi Sharks, Austin Odhiambo of Gor Mahia.Duke Abuya of Kenya Police FC and John Mwangi of Nzoia Sugar, Oundo is tasked with ensuring they do not play, stifling all their attacks.He is also tasked with dropping to help the backline by covering the central areas when the defenders are drifting wide to cover opposition attackers in the channels. His outstanding quality is his ability on winning duels. He has a high success rate when it comes to matters ground and aerial duels.Vihiga Queens clinch WPL title as Gaspo faltersWhen most teams go long into their dropping target man, he has to go up and this he does well. The Leopard’s system complements this well by having bodies around him to win the second ball. On winning a duel he has the ability to pick a good pass into the channels to expose spaces in the opposition last line.In Oundo, AFC Leopards has a proper gem in midfield, one who could easily ply his trade in top African teams like Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly. Slowly but surely, he is reaching the levels of Al Ahly’s Aliou Dieng and Sundown’s Teboho Mokoena.Credit should also go to the AFC Leopard’s technical team for getting the best out of Oundo through having the right profiles around him, especially with the likes of Wanyama, Kaycie Odhiambo and Lewis Bandi.He is an outstanding player, who will continue winning the hearts of the Ingwe faithful. Musa Oundo, remember the name!##EDITORS_CHOICE##
