Sammy Kitula
2 July 2009
Nairobi — By the closure of the Kenyan Premier League mid-season transfer window on Tuesday, a record 118 transfers had been sanctioned. But while other clubs have acquired between one and eight new players, AFC Leopards have signed 21.
Despite having reached a full house, Leopards will certainly miss the services of their top marksman, Sebastian Muchera, who scored three goals in the first leg, and Ahmed Farid, who has joined Bandari FC.
Other big names to have made the mid-season switch include last year's KPL runner-up in the scoring log, John Mwangi, who returns to Chemilil Sugar from Karega Sugar in Tanzania, and Levy Muaka, who returns to Nairobi City Stars from Sofapaka. League debutants Sofapaka made the most of the window, securing the vital signatures of former international Tom Juma, former Kenya Commercial Bank's pacy forward Jacob Keli, and Tafadzwa Dondo and Seif Puzo of Agro-chemicals, among other top players in the country.
Unorthodox meansLeopards' team manager Tony Lidonde says Ingwe will be "a lot wiser" in the second leg after they occupied the last spot for the last 15 matches.
"This isn't a big number. We were following the positions that we wanted to fill. Most of these players have been playing together, so what is remaining is to work on passes and we will be home," said Lidonde.
Leopards were promoted to KPL at the beginning of the year amid numerous accusations that they employed unorthodox means to ascend. Their display was as much down to the lamentable form of their rivals as it was their own efforts, with a run of only one win from their last 15 league outings, leading to a dismal return of 10 points from the last 45 on offer.
Lidonde said: "It was difficult. We limped across the line rather than burst though the tape. But we did it, and now we've got the chance to learn from our first leg in the campaign and go forward a lot wiser." Leopards' only victory was against Sony Sugar and the official believes this was the beginning of the road to proving their doubters wrong.
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