Mombasa United head coach Abdulhamid Moallin wants his charges to improve their finishing as they chase their first SportPesa Premier League win against Migori Youth at Awendo Green Stadium on Saturday.
Moallin has challenged his players to convert their chances and build comfortable leads to ease the pressure, especially with a congested fixture demanding quick recovery between matches.
“We need to take the games out of reach of our opponents and score more goals. That will help us contain the pressure. We have to be ready to play in those two-day intervals,” he said.
The tactician expects a tough test against Migori Youth, insisting his team must win individual duels, dictate possession and be effective in both boxes to secure maximum points. “We have to go and fight on Saturday. We know it won’t be easier. It will be a different kind of game that will require winning duels, dictating play and being good in both boxes,” he said.
Moallin wants his players to learn from Wednesday’s 3-1 defeat to KCB and improve their concentration throughout the 90 minutes, acknowledging that some are still adapting to the demands of the top flight.
“Some of our players are still trying to adapt to the new league. We need to learn to concentrate for the entire 90 minutes and stay in the game. We are all learning, and we are taking all the information to try and bounce back,” he added.
Despite the setback, Moallin remains optimistic that his team can turn things around, insisting there is still time to correct their mistakes and build momentum.
“It’s too early in the league, and we are hungrier for the next games. We have to learn from this defeat and ensure we won’t face such a defeat ever again in the league,” he said.
The coach felt Mombasa United had performed against KCB but were undone by their opponents’ midfield dominance and their own mistakes.
“It was always going to be difficult, and we knew KCB is a good team. They controlled the midfield, outplayed us, and they punished us. It’s hard to accept the results after such a performance, but we have to accept it,” he said.
Moallin also cited fatigue as a contributing factor, having played on Sunday before travelling the next day, although he insisted that should not excuse their shortcomings.
“I think fatigue was key to our loss today because we played on Sunday and travelled on Monday, but we have no excuses. We should have finished the job here,” he added.
