Coaches lament as the inevitable fatigue start eating up players in federation's crazy scheduling

Tusker FC head coach Robert Matano and his Gor Mahia counterpart Manuel Vaz Pinto have added their wailing voices to the ascending tones of lamentation over debilitating fatigue to players amid the frenzy by Football Kenya Federation to wrap up the top-flight division as well as League Cup fixtures.

Injuries are piling and the strains are starting to show. The full extent of damage will be clear when the dust settles, at the end of June. For now it's ride or die.

In a space of seven days, Tusker have played three matches in the league and cup while defending league champions Gor Mahia have been forced to contend with playing four matches in a span of eleven days. K'Ogalo have an average turn around time of two days between matches.

As if that is not enough, the clubs are set to add two more games to that strenuous schedule in the cup competition where the quarter-finals and the semifinals are expected to take centre stage in the next four days before embarking on another brutal rush to June 30th when the CAF Champions League ticket will be sealed.

In an interview on the club’s website, Matano, while crediting his squad depth, aired his concerns after his team narrowly edged division one side Luanda Villa 1-0 on Saturday at Ruaraka Grounds.

“There was some element of fatigue because we have been travelling and playing three games in one week is not easy. But we are coming up well. We are many and there are others who are working. We will shuffle the team to ensure everyone remains fresh. We know we will do something better for the next match,” added the coach.

Pinto on the other hand, in his post-match interview after Gor progressed to the cup quarter-finals with a 2-1 win against Mara Sugar, labelled his players as heroes who in one way or another had managed to keep up with the grueling fixture demands after playing eight league and cup matches in the last 20 days.

“This is our eighth game in the last 20 days. It is not easy - these guys are like heroes. We try to manage the fatigue by rotating the squad. I am very happy with their performance as we have won our last eight games in a row,” he said.

This Wednesday, log leading Tusker take on AFC Leopards while Gor Mahia face off with Kariobangi Sharks in the other quarter-final match taking place on Thursday. Teams that advance to the next round ready for action in the semis three days later on the weekend of 12 and 13th June.