AFC Leopards head coach Fred Ambani has voiced his frustration over the condition of Awendo Stadium after his side’s unbeaten start to the 2025/26 SportPesa Premier League came to an end with a 2-0 defeat to Mara Sugar FC.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Ambani stated that the poor playing surface played a major role in disrupting his team’s rhythm and tactical execution.
“As I said before kick-off, the field is not up to standard. You can’t play your usual game on this surface. Even putting together two or three passes becomes a struggle,” Ambani said.
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Ingwe were forced to make defensive changes with Vincent Mahiga and Randy Bakari ruled out through illness. Their absence opened the door for Emmanuel Lwangu and Rami Coulibaly, who both made their first starts of the season.
“We missed Mahiga and Bakari, who are sick, so we had to adjust at the back. It affected our game plan a bit, but the good thing is that we didn’t pick up any new injuries,” Ambani noted.
The coach also reflected on his second-half substitutions, admitting they didn’t deliver the intended impact this time around.
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“We conceded twice from our right side after withdrawing Brian Ojok, but that’s football. In previous matches, similar changes worked for us,” he added.
Before the setback, Leopards had gone 14 matches unbeaten, standing alongside Kenya Police FC as one of only two sides yet to lose this season. The defeat drops them to fourth place with 12 points from seven games, three wins, three draws and one loss.
The league will now take a two-week break for the FIFA international window. Once play resumes, Leopards face Kariobangi Sharks, before squaring off with bitter rivals Gor Mahia in the first leg of the Mashemeji Derby on November 30.
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