Despite the morale-boosting win over Kakamega Homeboyz, AFC Leopards are still not out of the woods yet. Pulse Sports highlights some of the reasons behind their struggles
AFC Leopards secured their second win of the season following an impressive 2-0 victory over Kakamega Homeboyz on Sunday, easing some pressure on the players and coach Tomas Trucha.
Leopards have endured a tough season that even the most pessimistic fans did not expect. After last year’s seventh-place finish, many hoped that this campaign would be better, especially after the club was allowed to sign players, but things have become worse instead.
Ingwe had won just one match in 14 attempts, drawing eight while losing five, before Cliffton Miheso's penalty and Hassan Beja's strike saw them down fancied Homeboyz to lift them from 15th on the table to 13th with 14 points, although three other teams have accumulated as much.
Leopards headed into the clash with their backs against the wall, their last and only win at the time coming on October 29, but somehow found enough to down Abana Abeingo who had been on a five-match winning run that left them just one point behind leaders Gor Mahia.
![Gor Mahia striker Chris Ochieng looking to emulate K'Ogalo's 1976 and 2015 heroics](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/31102023/0866f732-19d9-4d15-828d-cccf551fed41.jpg?operations=fit(180:))
07:34 - 15.12.2023
FOOTBALL Gor Mahia striker Chris Ochieng looking to emulate K'Ogalo's 1976 and 2015 heroics
The forward hopes K’Ogalo can maintain their unbeaten run for the entire campaign and emulate the success of the club’s teams in 1976 and 2015
Most of Leopards problems are, however, self-inflicted given the numerous missteps the cub has been making over the years. Pulse Sports highlights what has contributed to Ingwe’s recent struggles.
Inept leadership
Leopards seem to be led by people who do not know what they are doing or if they do, then it is for self-gain.
Chairman Dan Shikanda is currently the man in the hot seat and while he bears responsibility for the current malaise, it was not any better even before his reign.
![Cheche pinpoints Junior Stars player he hopes can be promoted to Harambee Stars ‘soon’](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/13122023/5a2be108-1b90-4d69-a30d-a7f3635a49b9.jpg?operations=fit(180:))
08:54 - 14.12.2023
FKFPL Cheche pinpoints Junior Stars player he hopes can be promoted to Harambee Stars ‘soon’
The Harambee Stars defender has heaped praise on the Spain-based prodigy and also sent a word of advice to all the players in the setup.
Successful Leopards leaderships have failed to put in structures that would sustain the club for the long-term and only seem to react by changing coaches whenever things do not go well.
That is how they have ended up with 16 coaches in the last 11 years but seem to move from one crisis to another. This season has emphasised that when Tom Juma was sacked just six games into his new role with his replacement Tomas Trucha failing to get a tune out of the players so far.
Former Leopards midfielder Charles Okwemba captured well the club’s problems recently.
“AFC Leopards have a lot of challenges but I am not so sure they know what their challenges are. Why, because for some years, they keep repeating the same things, expecting different results which does not happen. So, they first of all need to identify what their problems are,” he told Citizen TV in October.
![AFC Leopards legend unconvinced by Trucha's ‘questionable’ record](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/16102023/6e329664-e880-4c9f-8f64-2f9d55310f03.jpg?operations=fit(180:))
16:00 - 16.10.2023
FOOTBALL AFC Leopards legend unconvinced by Trucha's ‘questionable’ record
Former AFC Leopards midfielder Charles Okwmba has questioned the credentials of Ingwe new coach Tomas Trucha who he does not feel will lead them to success
Disharmony
Related to poor leadership in the unending wrangling among the club hierarchy. Shikanda has previously been said to have fallen out with Secretary General Gilbert Andugu which has affected decision-making.
The club boss admitted to this last week when he said there is a lot of ‘negative influence at the club’ while accusing some officials of abandoning the team.
Cases of officials pulling in different directions is an age-old problem at Leopards and was witnessed during the reigns of Julius Ochiel, Alex Ole Magelo, Mathews Opwora, Allan Kasavuli and Dan Mule, all who were hounded out of office at different times.
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16:00 - 14.12.2023
FOOTBALL Eric Kapaito puts Omala on notice after opening his Tusker FC goal account
Tusker FC striker Eric Kapaito has given his feelings after finally getting on target for the brewers since singing for the club at the start of this season
“You can always blame the fans but there are some things that come from within. Even now since I left, they have not been doing well,” former coach Tom Juma said last month, hinting at some forces being behind his sacking and not just poor results.
It does not seem like it will change any time soon in the wake of Shikanda’s revelations, meaning fans will continue bearing the pain.
Poor recruitment
With a disjointed executive, Leopards have moved from one mistake to another when it comes to signing players and this season has not been any different.
![Gor Mahia official reveals two key ingredients to their success so far this season](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/24112023/1cd08bb4-8b63-4e61-b475-94114c9e1c54.jpg?operations=fit(180:))
07:34 - 14.12.2023
FOOTBALL Gor Mahia official reveals two key ingredients to their success so far this season
Top of the table Gor Mahia remain the only unbeaten side in the FKF Premier League this season as they look to retain their title but what is the reason behind the good run?
Shikanda laid bare the problems that precipitated this season’s crisis when he admitted the transfer committee the club put in place to sign new players did a sub-par job.
He lamented how he was now taking blame after the committee signed so many players that were not up to scratch just because they were from a certain community.
Leopards registered 20 players following the lifting of their transfer ban and instead of solving last season’s problems, they made matters worse. Further, the players were registered just days to the start of the new season, denying the coach an opportunity to work with them in pre-season.
Juma and his successor Trucha have tried to put together a winning team without success as the squad looks imbalanced and at times out of ideas.
![Strategic John Baraza sets second leg dragnet for serial champions Gor Mahia](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/13122023/9b905414-0014-425b-b794-a2be4f308911.webp?operations=fit(180:))
12:40 - 13.12.2023
FKFPL Strategic John Baraza sets second leg dragnet for serial champions Gor Mahia
Bandari are five points behind Gor Mahia despite losing their last league fixture against City Stars.
It has been hard to build an understanding at a time results are supposed to be trickling in and they face a situation where they will have to go big again in the midseason transfer window to solve the mistakes of four months ago.
Identity crisis
With players and coaches changing regularly, Leopards have also found themselves in a situation where they cannot build a certain way of playing.
They appeared to be getting it right under Belgian coach Patrick Aussems before he quit in July but those after him have not been able to do it largely due to a lack of enough time with the squad on the training ground.
![Wanyama reveals the European style his Busia-based football academy will implement](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/08122023/b28bc9a9-4ced-4b41-a7e2-bf9f0ae49ee8.jpg?operations=fit(180:))
18:04 - 11.12.2023
FOOTBALL Wanyama reveals the European style his Busia-based football academy will implement
Wanyama has revealed why he will run his Busia-based academy using the European style.
Without this, Leopards have had to rely on moments of brilliance or penalties to get a result but it has proved unsustainable.
Going by Okwemba’s sentiments, this is not just this season’s problem. “Leopards is a club that keeps changing coaches every now and then so it becomes very difficult to get the continuity. If you keep changing the coaches, the players will keep changing and this is not very good,” he noted.
Lack of goals
Trucha has prioritised signing a new striker in the January transfer window and it is not hard to understand why. Leopards have scored 11 goals this season, with Muhoroni Youth (six) and Kariobangi Sharks (nine) the only teams with a worse record.
![Mwalala reveals what KCB must do to win maiden FKF Premier League title](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/14122023/cfa19cb8-6a79-47f5-a6fe-a801ffa10af5.jpg?operations=fit(180:))
10:12 - 15.12.2023
FKFPL Mwalala reveals what KCB must do to win maiden FKF Premier League title
KCB boasts a strong home record this season, collecting 15 points and finding themselves fourth on 24 points, just four behind Gor Mahia.
What is more, five have been penalties with a couple from corners. Ingwe do not score enough from open play and on the rare occasions when they create clear chances, they waste them.
It is largely the reason Leopards have recorded eight draws with seven of them ending either 0-0 or 1-1. It means if they had a clinical striker, some of the draws would have been turned into wins and ease off some pressure.
For now, it is a gamble upfront until Trucha gets his man in which is another damning indictment on the club and the much-maligned transfer committee.
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