There is no doubt that Tusker FC head coach Charles Okere is feeling the heat following their shock exit from the Mozzart Bet Cup and their recent struggle for goals in the league title race. If there is something Okere wishes to forget fast, then the past five weeks will easily feature, as he has helplessly watched his team fail to maintain a firm grip at the top of the league standings, compounded by a cup exit.Since beating Gor Mahia 2-1 on Sunday, 19 January, at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos, Tusker has never been the same again, as goals have since dried up and hopes for double glory dashed.##NAJAVA_MECA_8773616##As Okere continues to help the team smart out of the difficult ground, he concedes that the exit of a single player in the mid-season transfer window complicated their plot for the two major titles on offer. Efforts by the club to tie down Shaphan Siwa to a new deal did not bear fruit, as the creative midfielder left for Tanzanian Premier League side Kagera Sugar in January, free of charge. Tusker FC suffer shock exit as magic of Mozzart Bet Cup lives onDespite crossing the border several weeks ago, Siwa still tops the assists charts in the league, having created nine goals before Kagera offered a sweeter deal. The midfielder had formed a lethal partnership with the club’s marksman and the league’s leading scorer, Ryan Ogam, but since his departure, the young forward has seemingly struggled to score. Okere admits that the club misses Siwa, who carried his rich form this season to the Tanzanian league, if his numbers from the time he made his debut are anything to go by. Nairobi United coach on how they eliminated Tusker in Mozzart Bet CupThe former Chemelil Sugar man has two goals in the three matches played so far across the boarder.”I am not ashamed to say we miss Siwa. He served the club well and did exceptionally well in he first leg of the season. He is an experienced midfielder who not only possesses a good eye for the goal but creates as well. I am not surprised with his performances in Tanzania,” confessed Okere. The CAF A license holder, who was promoted to the rank of head coach before the start of the season, however, said he was working his socks off to fully fill the void left by Siwa. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8773324##Okere has tried a number of options, depending on the formation, but none has been as impactful as Siwa, who joined the club from Kariobangi Sharks. “We are trying hard to sort out the issue of creativity and scoring. It is extremely hard to tackle some problems in the middle of a competition, but we will get it done. The rest of the midfielders have a duty to step up as well,” pledged Okere. Loss of form and injuries to influential players have not been kind to the Brewers, who are seeking their first major title since 2021.Tusker lost Ogam to a knee issue while in action against Kenya Police FC in Machakos on Saturday 8 February. Charles Okere sympathises with Tusker fans after shock Mozzart Bet Cup exitIt is not clear when the forward, who has 15 goals against his name, will be available for selection as he is yet to resume training, according to Okere. “Our efforts to solve the goal drought have not been helped by the loss of Ogam. I appreciate what our young striker David Polepole and the rest are doing, but it would have been easier if we had all fully fit,” added Okere.
