Tusker FC head coach Charles Okere revealed the four words he used to inspire his team to victory against Ulinzi Stars that kept their title hopes alive. He urged them to approach every match with the intensity of a final, as the pressure mounts in the FKF Premier League title race.Currently, the Brewers sit second on the FKF Premier League table with 36 points, tied with leaders Kenya Police FC, who hold a superior goal difference. Although it is still early in the season, the two teams are expected to push the title race to the wire, with record champions Gor Mahia also anticipated to be in the mix.##NAJAVA_MECA_8667389##The coach highlighted how his halftime talk inspired the team to secure the winning goal, courtesy of a Chrispine Erambo header.“In the dressing room, I just told them one word: ‘You know what to do.’ We had worked through the week and had a plan, which we executed well in the second half. The first half was a bit scrappy, and we seemed like we were losing our strategy, but we came back stronger and scored from a set piece—something we had worked on.”Okere, who took over as head coach at the start of the season following the departure of Robert Matano, believes the team has made significant progress. He pointed out that their good form in January should provide the confidence needed to tackle the remainder of the campaign.“This is a marathon, and there are no easy games. Every game for us is like a final, and we cannot afford to be in a comfort zone. We are here to work and get the best results in every game,” he told the club’s official website.Tusker’s latest triumph came in a 1-0 victory over Ulinzi Stars on Saturday in Dandora, marking another positive result in what has been a successful spell after a shaky start to the season. Okere praised his players for their resilience in what he described as a challenging match against the 2010 Premier League champions.FKF Electoral Board threatens to sue federation“Kudos to the players because it was a really tough win. We played under very difficult conditions with extreme heat on the artificial turf. But we had a plan, and we executed it to get the three points,” he said.Antony Akhulia on why Bidco are at the bottom of the league tableIn a tactical move, Okere deployed Yusuf Mainge and Dennis Wanjala, typically fullbacks, in more offensive roles. He explained that the decision was a defensive measure to counter Ulinzi Stars’ strengths on the wings.“We were playing away from home and needed to show a bit of caution. We knew Ulinzi’s strength on the wings and needed to neutralize that. It was more of a tactical decision, and we are glad it worked.”Okere also celebrated the clean sheet, which significantly boosted his team’s morale.“This is a big motivation for us, especially against a very tactical side like Ulinzi. They created numerous scoring chances, and we were lucky at some points. We have been working hard to improve our backline because we have been conceding a lot of goals, and I am happy we managed to keep a clean sheet.”Tusker FC will turn their focus to their next match, a Sunday clash against KCB FC at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos.Julius Masaba on difference of playing for Kariobangi Sharks and AFC Leopards
