Okere puts Tusker FC players on notice after humiliating Sofapaka defeat

Photo Credit - Tusker FC Media.

Tusker FC coach Charles Okere has warned those of his players who are not prepared to fight for the badge to ship out, following their humiliating 7-1 defeat to Sofapaka in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League on Sunday.

The outcome of the game dented the Brewers’ chances of winning the 2024/25 title after their closest challengers Kenya Police FC beat FC Talanta 1-0 to move six points clear at the top of the 18-team league table with two matches remaining to conclude the season.

“If a player is tired of playing for the team, he can just leave because as a coach you do your job in training and then some players are fighting for the team while others are just coasting; that’s not acceptable,’ a fuming Okere said while responding to the huge defeat.

“This was our worst game ever. I don’t know what the problem was, but I can’t understand how our players couldn’t do anything. At times you wonder why we just left Sofapaka to just score cheap goals, and these are players we’ve invested in.

“The league is a marathon, there is no reason for us to struggle to be in the title race all season and then just lose it at the last minute. It’s a shame. This is Tusker FC, a big team in the league. We congratulate Sofapaka, they showed more intent of playing good football, but that’s just unacceptable from us. It's not acceptable at all.”

On whether Tusker should forget about the title, Okere said: “For sure the league is not over, but Tusker is a big team that needs players with character. We can’t be playing clueless football. We do all the preparations to defeat our opponents and then on the field some players aren’t giving their all.”

Sofapaka led 4-0 at the half-time break following goals from Edward Omondi, Wyne Messi and Jack Onganya, who scored in the 38th and 45th minute.

The goals continued to flood in at the start of the second period, Rodgers Kipkemoi making it 5-0, before Omondi scored his second and the team's sixth. Onganya wrapped up their emphatic win by completing his hat-trick in the 88th minute.

It was Tusker’s seventh defeat of the season; they have won 15 matches and drawn ten.

For Sofapaka, they jumped to seventh with 43 points accumulated from ten wins, 13 draws and nine defeats.

Tusker will return to action against Kariobangi Sharks on June 14 before concluding their league fixtures away to Kakamega Homeboyz on June 22.