AFC Leopards does not regret losing Lewis Bandi to rivals Gor Mahia – Ambani

Kenyan Premier League side AFC Leopards chairman Boniface Ambani has come out to state that the club will not be affected in anyway following the departure of Harambee Stars defender Lewis Bandi to rivals Gor Mahia.

In a surprise turn of events, the young defender ditched Ingwe for K’Ogalo while representing Kenya during the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament which was being co-hosted in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Bandi, who was a regular starter for Kenya under coach Benni McCarthy, made the transfer without informing his parent club as a free agent despite having an offer on the table to pen an improved contract and stay at the Den.

“Some people have said, ‘Oh, you let Lewis Bandi go.’ I didn’t. If he had to go, then so be it. But remember, who brought that young man in the first place? It was us,” Ambani told Sporty FM as quoted by Mozzart Sports.

“It’s like being a parent — if your son decides to move out of the house, you don’t stop him. You support him, wish him the best, and move on.”

Ambani added: “That’s exactly what we did. He left, but the gap was filled immediately. There are so many players in this country who want to play for AFC Leopards.

“It’s about quality. Nothing more than that. We need to bring in quality players. There’s a big difference between quality and quantity, and we are not chasing numbers — we are going for quality.”

Bandi has already represented Gor Mahia during their friendly against Simba SC at Benjamin Mpaka Stadium, which the Msimbazi Reds won 2-0.

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