The 2021-2022 season was supposed to be the toughest for Shaphan Siwa considering that he did not kick the ball at the competitive level in the first leg despite being fully fit.The Tusker midfielder found himself squeezed between a rock and a hard surface in the first leg as he was still in the books of Tanzanian Premier League side Biashara United in the first leg where he grappled with lack of playing unit.##NAJAVA_MECA_6459047##Siwa had joined Biashara in August last year but apparently failed to obtain working permit and subsequently, could not feature in the league matches, leaving him a frustrated player who was only legible for friendly matches.Tusker, made a gamble in January as they acquired the versatile midfielder on a two-year long contract despite his limited match fitness.Against all the odds, the resilient Siwa established himself as a key player in the first team and would go on to finish the season with three goals and five assists and most importantly, he walked home with the league winner’s medal after the final game against Posta Rangers.HALF TIME at the William Ole Ntimama Stadium in Narok.Shaphan Oyugi’s early goal separates the two sides. pic.twitter.com/jRDyyvNV7L— 🏆Tusker FC (@tusker_fc) April 16, 2022 Siwa lifted the lid on how he managed to turn his fortunes around and the role coach Robert Matano played in his transformation from a defensive midfielder to an attack minded one. The Kisumu Day High School also credits the presence of his former school mates and teammates for his seamless start of life at TuskerAgogo braced up for FKF PL return after a season in the cold“The first leg of the season was the most difficult time I have ever faced in my career for obvious reasons. It was frustrating for me to train daily only to watch our matches from the stands as I was ineligible to play in the Tanzanian league. When Tusker expressed interests, I knew I had my work cut out but thankfully, my body responded quickly to Matano’s philosophy and within two weeks after signing the contract, I was ready to play,” he narrated.He added “I used to play as a creative midfielder in my initial years in the league and the change of roles did not trouble me. Many people held my hand at Tusker and I am eternally grateful to them for helping me crack a smile at the end of the season after a rather difficult start,” he remarked.Tusker have signed immediate former Biashara United defensive midfielder Shaphan Oyugi on a two-year contract. Shaphan terminated his contract with the Tanzanian Premier League outfit last month hardly five months after crossing the border. pic.twitter.com/xHpLyePrVG— Meshack Kisenge (@kisengemeshack1) January 6, 2022 Siwa who prior to joining Biashara was attached to Kariobangi Sharks revealed that Matano triggered the beast mode in him and always demanded the best from him and the rest of the team.The former Chemelil Sugar player said Matano who boasts of being the most successful local coach in recent history injected the winning mentality in him and in the team that began the season on the wrong footing.“The difference between Matano and the rest is he is a result-oriented coach who abhors losing and laxity on the pitch. Even when everyone felt that Tusker had no mettle to defend the league title, he challenged us to do it and I am happy that we made it,” he disclosed.
