Bandari to recall players out on loan to boost campaign

Bandari players listen to former Nigerian footballer Victor Ikpeba (right) during a training session at the Mbaraki Sports Club on January 23. [Gideon Maundu]

Bandari coach Ken Odhiambo has recalled players initially loaned out to other clubs to boost the team’s arsenal in readiness for football restart in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

Odhiambo said his top strikers Wycliffe Ochomo and Moses Mudavadi have injuries as is goalkeeper Mustapha Oduor.

Bandari said the players the club had loaned out have done well in the respective teams they joined.

“The players we loaned out at the start of the season are ripe to return to Bandari,” said Odhiambo.

At the start of the season, Bandari loaned out Dennis Magige and Hassan Iddi to Coast Stima while Patrick Mgendi and Alex Luganje joined Nairobi City Stars. Swaleh Chacha, who had been loaned to Mathare United has since rejoined the coastal team.

Meanwhile, renovation work at the Mbaraki Sports Club has moved a notch higher in a move aimed at upgrading the facility to a new state of the art football stadium.

Speaking during an inspection tour of progress at the facility, Club Director Dickson Kibagendi said the Kenya Ports Authority has pumped millions of shillings to give the facility a new look and meet the Fifa standards.

 “Kenya Ports Authority has sanctioned the full upgrade of the Mbaraki stadium into a modern playground. Once completed, Bandari FC will have a standard Fifa approved football pitch with proper drainage system, Fifa approved goal posts that meet international standards,” Kibagendi said without disclosing the budget set aside for the renovation work.

He added that as per Fifa standards, Bandari will have a separate pitch next to the playing pitch exclusively for training.

Due to poor state of Mombasa County Stadium, which was closed down four years ago for renovations, which have been on and off, Bandari have in the past switching their international matches to Nairobi.

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho had said that his county government had set aside Sh1.2 billion for construction of a modern stadium. According to the Governor, Mombasa stadium was to be flattened with new structures put in place.

Joho said upgrading the Mombasa stadium is one of his government’s plans to address the shortage of recreational facilities for the youth in the county.

Sitting on an 8.1 acre land, the construction work is being undertaken by a Turkish firm Stars Supplies and Construction Company and will also have an integrated indoor arena that will host basketball and volleyball matches, swimming pool, a media centre fitted with VAR computers and a 3,000 capacity conventional centre among other amenities.