Kibera Black Stars head coach Owen Makokha believes having his players in the right mental state will win him matches and restore Yamama’s lost glory in the National Super League (NSL).Makokha was appointed the club’s head coach on Friday following the dismal of former Kenyan international Noah Abich and Moses Onyango over poor results.##NAJAVA_MECA_7998424##Kibera had gone five matches without a win, performances that threatened their season’s target of a top-ten finish and potentially a promotion chase.In his backroom staff, Owen is joined by former Gor Mahia striker Edwin Lavatsa as the first assistant coach while the club works on having the full technical bench at the start of the week.Speaking after his side saw off Silibwet Leons 2-0 in a league match staged at Hope Centre Kawangware on Sunday, the ex-AFC Leopards goalkeeper told Mozzart Sport he was more concerned about creating an enabling and winning environment for his charges.Owen adds that, when he takes to the training ground on Monday, together with Lavatsa, they will pay close attention to various formations that could bring the best out of the squad that contains a blend of experience and young talents.“We are happy to start with three points but that is not enough. We have a lot to address as a team to gain more confidence heading to the next matches,” offered Makokha who is best remembered for leading Fortune Sacco to the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) alongside Nicholas Omasete.“First, I have to ensure the players are in their right state of mind, ensure they enjoy doing what they love, and that way the results will come. Secondly, with my team (the technical bench) we are going to try out some new formations that we believe will be useful with this group, we have a blend of experienced and young players, so whatever we come up with must be suitable to all age groups in the team,” he added.Mozzart Bet Cup: AFC Leopards dispatch Shabana as Kariobangi Sharks disarm Ulinzi Stars to advance“We need to have an environment that will give them (players) freedom with the ball, coaches are parents to these talents and we must offer a listening ear, that is the way we are developing them both in football and general life – if that happens then they will easily perform as per expectations.”Meanwhile, Makokha has admitted there is a lot of work to be done despite edging Silibwet and at the same time added his voice to the increased calls from second-tier stakeholders to have match officials up their game.“Honestly we won but against which opponent? We still have a lot of work to do to get the right results. The standard of officiating needs to be looked into, I am not complaining but I felt the officials made some questionable decisions,” he offered.NSL: Mathare United, Naivas drop important points as MCF picks vital winNevertheless, the experienced expert remained adamant in his players achieving a top-five finish as they target 30 points from the remaining 13 matches.“Nothing is impossible in football, to be realistic, we are going for a top-five finish, ten wins in the remaining 13 games will guarantee us that chance and you never know, maybe a playoff place is achievable,” he asserted.The win lifts Kibera to eleventh on the log with 33 points, ten behind the top five.
