Shabana defender savours ‘rare feat’ as club receives bus, financial boost

The weekend of Saturday, 11 and Sunday, 12 April, brought forth great tidings for FKF Premier League side Shabana FC. First, a cagey dispatch of Kuta Collection FC in the round of 16 of the Mozzart Bet Cup on Saturday at the Wang’uru Stadium and then an official handing over of their new bus, a double-axle Isuzu bus from His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya, William Ruto.

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The president even showed up in person as the Glamour Boys played an exhibition match against Gucha Stars at the Gusii Stadium.

Coach Andrew Ongwae fielded a fringe side, reserving most of his key players for the league's homestretch and the Mozzart Bet Cup quarter finals, but even these proved a handful for the National Super League (NSL) side, dispatching them by a solitary Austine Odongo strike.

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Right-back Brian Bett captained the side, an honour he does not take for granted.

"The armband is always a huge responsibility, regardless of the match being played, and to have been entrusted with it, especially on an occasion as huge as this, I do not take it for granted.

It shows the team’s belief in me, and having been here for a few seasons, it only inspires me more to work harder for the team," says the speedy full-back.

Bett says getting to introduce his teammates to the president is a memory he wants to hold dear. The visit, largely publicised because of the bus handover, did in fact do more.

The President also presided over the groundbreaking of new construction works at the Gusii Stadium, intended to upgrade it at the tune of Ksh900 million.

Shabana will have to seek alternative grounds for their remaining fixtures in the league, but have been given a financial boost by the President himself of Ksh20 million for the same. Bett says this comes in handy.

"It was an honour introducing my teammates to the President, one that I for sure will hold dear. On the stadium upgrade, we will miss Gusii Stadium no doubt, but it’s only for a while.

It’s a good thing, necessary in fact, as we are probably the team with the most followers in the country and deserve a bigger stadium. We thank the President for this as a team; it improves morale, and the fans, too, will get to watch our matches with more comfort," continues Bett.

Shabana currently lies fifth on the log, the same position they achieved last season, but theirs has been a topsy-turvy campaign full of coaching changes.

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At some point, they even came close, sitting third right behind leaders Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards- a duo that has, in fact, made the present campaign theirs.

Playing only their third season in the top flight after returning to the national sphere from years in the cold, Shabana have done themselves justice.

No team sticks it up to the league big boys as they have, and even though a league title is a stretch at this point, Bett says everything has a foundation. They have to record stable finishes over a couple of seasons, after which they can then go for the title.

"The team may have been around for a very long time, but by all standards, we are a young team in the top flight, so to even stay in the top five consistently is something we do not take lightly.

We haven’t posted consistent results, and that is something to work on as we aim to close the season in the highest position available for us," he continues.

Their fans, he adds, are a key factor to some of their results, and regardless of how the team performs, the Red Ultras never fail to show up.

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"Perhaps that’s what separates us from other teams that earned promotion. Explains why we are able to go toe-to-toe with the top teams in the country. Our fans, however demanding they may be, always show up and push us to the desired results.

It’s been a while since we won a title, and we really would want to gift them something. Lucky for us, we are still in the Mozzart Bet Cup," he concludes.

Shabana hosts Kakamega Homeboyz on Saturday, 18 April, as the league resumes for round 28.