Tactician guides Ingwe to GOtv Shield glory, hopes for more next season

Ulinzi Stars coach Robert Matano on the touchline their KPL match against Sofapaka FC at City Stadium on May 31, 2015.PHOTO/DENNIS OKEYO

Robert Matano, the conquering lion of local club football

Eight months after suffering a kidney ailment, former Ulinzi coach comes to Leopards' rescue.

He has built a reputation as a rescue coach and Robert Matano’s magic has worked again, helping AFC Leopards to win the GOtv shield for the first time since 2013.

The victory, at the expense of Kariobangi Sharks, who fell 2-0, was particularly sweet considering that the veteran coach, popularly known as the ‘Lion’, had come from a life-threatening illness to take over at the Den.

Kidney ailment

Less than eight months ago, Matano, who was then the Ulinzi Stars coach, was suffering from a kidney ailment and was in need of funds for an expensive procedure.

At the time, it seemed as if he would never return to the pitch even after his recovery, but he beat all odds as he was back on the pitch less than a month after his treatment.

Sheer determination saw him bounce back to coaching the Nationwide Super League (NSL) side, Nairobi City Stars.

From City Stars, Matano moved to Bidco, where in a short time he helped the side to turn around a poor start in the season.

 

Continental glory

As expected, AFC Leopards soon came calling in the middle of a crisis. Matano’s impact was almost immediate when he led the club to a 1-0 win over Bandari.

This was Leopards' first win in eight rounds of matches and it turned around the team’s fortunes.

With the GOtv shield trophy now in the bag, Matano says the team is determined to make a difference at the continental level.

“We must have good preparations before embarking on our quest for continental glory. We need good planning and money to buy quality players,” he said.

Matano said he is looking for a mixture of both foreign-based and local players, but most importantly, good strikers.

“The players we sign must have something extra to add to the team. We must carry out a calculated recruitment and not a rushed process as the club did before I got here,” he said.

The coach said he was disappointed to find lack of balance in the team and attributed this to the Leopards' poor performance in the league.

“We had a situation where a vast majority of the players were either midfielders or defenders. Those who did the recruitment forgot to sign strikers without whom you cannot expect to win matches,” he said.

Matano also praised Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja for helping the team and urged other wellwishers to support his efforts at the club.

“His efforts have brought a lot of confidence in the team, but he cannot do it alone. This is the time for others to join in and support us,” Matano said.