• FOOTBALL

• Frank Rotich 1 day ago

‎Ocholla worried as Ulinzi Stars sink deep into relegation trouble ‎

Ulinzi Stars head coach Stephen Ocholla has raised serious concern over his team’s poor defending of set pieces after they lost 2-1 to AFC Leopards in a Sportpesa League match played on Thursday at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.

‎‎The defeat leaves the Soldiers deep in relegation trouble, with familiar mistakes once again costing them valuable points.

‎‎AFC Leopards took control of the match with goals in each half through Tyson Otieno and Victor Otieno.

Ulinzi tried to fight back after the break, with Paul Odhiambo scoring a consolation goal, but it was not enough to stop Ingwe from walking away with all three points.

‎‎Ulinzi’s problems showed just before halftime when they conceded from a set piece. A well-taken delivery by Samuel Semo caused confusion in the box, and Tyson Otieno reacted fast to tap the ball home from close range.

‎‎Speaking after the match, Ocholla admitted that defending set pieces has become a major headache for his side.

“Again we conceded through set pieces. It is something we have worked on many times in training, but it keeps happening. It is a big concern and we must continue working on it,” Ocholla told Azam Sports.

‎‎The coach also addressed the mistake that led to the opening goal, after goalkeeper Timothy Odhiambo struggled on his return to action. Making his first appearance in over a month, the keeper failed to deal with a low shot that slipped through his legs.

‎‎However, Ocholla refused to single out the goalkeeper for blame.

“I can’t blame my keeper alone. There are ten other players on the pitch. We win and lose as a team,” he said.

‎‎The loss is Ulinzi Stars’ seventh defeat of the season and leaves them just two points above bottom-placed Kariobangi Sharks.

With the league entering a critical stage, pressure is now mounting on the Soldiers to quickly fix their weaknesses and climb out of the danger zone.