Shabana FC head coach Peter Okidi says the team are determined to give fans something to smile about come the end of the season.
Okidi says the fans have been Tore Bobe's 12th man and deserve all the good things for their unwavering support.
"We want to encourage them to continue pushing us even as we get closer to the end of the season. As a team, we are determined to give them something to smile about at the end of the season. We understand that it takes a lot of sacrifice to come all the way from Kisii and other places to come support us here in Nairobi. That's why we always want to reward them with the three points," the former Nakuru All Stars coach said.
The Gusii-based side have breathed new life in the top flight thanks to their vociferous fans who have always thronged stadia to support their side -- much like Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards.
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In particular, Gusii Stadium -- the Glamour Boys' home ground -- is ever painted red and white of Shabana colours and transformed into a fortress where opponents are lucky to come away with a point.
The support has spurred Shabana to fourth on the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League with 46 points from 27 matches -- three behind third-placed Gor Mahia.
They also boast a six-match unbeaten run, consisting of three wins and three draws.
The latest was Sunday's 4-2 win over Talanta FC at the Dandora Stadium.
Reflecting on the triumph, Okidi says Tore Bobe were keen on channeling the frustrations of their FKF Cup loss to Kakamega Homeboyz in Kisumu, a week ago.
"We were still frustrated about the manner of our loss in Kisumu a week ago and we wanted to atone for that. We were prepared because we were still wounded from a week ago. You could tell that the energy levels in the team were so high," he said.
The win notwithstanding, Okidi is conscious of the fact that there is room for improvement in the squad.
"One thing is that we are conceding a lot from the setpieces and that is something we have to avoid. We want to avoid conceding as much as possible while at the same time, collecting three points...then at the end of the season, we'll see who laughs last," the gaffer said.
They next play relegation-threatened Nairobi City Stars at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on Saturday.
