Bandari Football Club Head Coach, Charles Okere, says the Mombasa-based side’s pre-season preparations have gone according to plan, with the technical bench now shifting focus to the psychological readiness of the players ahead of the new Kenya Premier League (KPL) season.
Speaking to journalists, Okere said the Club’s six-to-eight-week pre-season programme was wrapping up as planned.
“We are grateful because our preparations have progressed well. The period we had set aside, six to eight weeks, is coming to an end, and at this stage it becomes more of a psychological matter. We cannot say it has affected us, because this too, is part of preparation,” he said.
On team chemistry, the Coach said the squad, which includes several new signings, has now spent close to six weeks working together, with cohesion and coordination steadily improving.
“Even watching training today, regardless of who has come in, you cannot tell who the newcomers are. That interaction within the team is growing,” Okere said.
Asked about the wider state of Kenyan football and having coached in the local game for a number of years, Okere said his role as a member of the technical bench, is to prepare players, while urging football authorities to resolve off-the-pitch issues affecting clubs.
He noted that the uncertainty, including a legal dispute that has clouded the build-up to the new season, has weighed on clubs psychologically and strained preparation and resources.
“It becomes very difficult to prepare players under such conditions. Our appeal is that these matters be resolved so that football can move forward. Even the national team has assembled, yet no league match has been played. This is not an ideal time. We need to sit down and address these issues,” he said.
On player development, Okere said Bandari has a long history of producing players for the Harambee Stars and expressed hope that more of his p would earn national team call-ups this season.
He singled out young forward, Lawrence Okoth, saying the player, despite his age, has continued to find the net both for the club and for the national team.
“We are hoping this year to give more players to the national team. We expect a season that will excite fans, and one that produces more players for Harambee Stars,” Okere said.
The Coach also addressed the club’s use of test matches and sports science in preparation, saying friendlies allow the technical bench to assess players under match conditions while also using the sessions to reinforce the laws of the game and nutrition education.
“We cannot train throughout without testing ourselves. We use these opportunities to teach the laws of the game, nutrition, among other things. Ultimately, it is about finding the balance that keeps players fresh by the time our first official match comes,” he said, adding that the Club has increasingly leaned on sports science and data analysis to inform training.
On the club’s investment in his technical bench, Okere praised Bandari’s management for backing the Department with resources for video analysis and nutrition programmes.
“We do video analysis to track players’ input and output in training. On nutrition, we are well covered; players know their diet, what they should eat before, during and after training or a match. Bandari has invested heavily in sports science, nutrition and data,” he said.
Okere is in his first season In-Charge at Mbaraki, having stepped into the role after Bernard Mwalala’s exit to rivals AFC Leopards, and works alongside Assistant Coach, Elvis Valdo, on the technical bench.
With their build-up matches now behind them, the coastal side head into the new campaign, chasing a first major trophy in years, opening their KPL account against Mwalala’s new club, AFC Leopards.
By Joan Kinuthia
