The Dockers lost a number of players last season and haven’t fully replaced the departures.
We take a look at struggles and also what Bandari fans should expect in this new campaign’
Bandari’s 2023/24 season recap
The Mombasa based club managed to secure the fourth spot last season, managing 51 points, just one above fifth-placed AFC Leopards. In the top five teams, Bandari lost the most matches, 10 compared to Tusker and AFC Leopards, who saw 9 defeats in the process. Bandari registered 10 draws, and 14 wins, with their biggest victory of the season being a 7-2 riot against Vihiga Bullets.
The heartbreak of the season came back in January as they were knocked out of the Mozzart Bet Cup by Bungoma Stars. In a match staged at Sudi Stadium, Bandari suffered a 2-1 loss to the lower-tier side in the preliminary clash.
Ken Odhiambo will be leading Bandari FC this campaign after he was appointed as the head coach, returning for the third stint. Odhiambo replaced Antony Kimani who had been sacked after strings of poor results with Twahir Muhidin stepping in as interim for the remainder of last campaign.
Can Ken Odhiambo lead the Mombasa based side to a top four finish?
The impact of losing star forwards
Bandari FC are in the process of rebuilding and the club opted to release a number of players including key first-team members. Among the players to leave were Hassan Abdallah, one of the club’s finest and a lethal forward in front of the goal.
Abdallah, who before his departure was the club’s assistant captain, had been linked with a number of clubs and decided to join Coastal Union.
Derrick Nsibambi also departed the club and joined Uganda Premier League side KCCA while Francis Kahiro returned to his former club KCB FC. Experienced forward Umaru Kasumba also joined the list of departures.
All these players have been instrumental to Bandari’s output in both domestic league and other tournaments.
Replacement strategy
Bandari FC managed to bring in new faces for the new campaign with Geoffrey Ojunga signing for the Dockers from Posta Rangers. Hamisi Boki was also another addition for the club, signing from Kenya Navy FC.
The Mombasa based side also wrapped up Alfred Emoni, with the striker signing from FC Talanta.
Can Bandari overcome adversity to challenge for Top Four?
Ken Odhiambo’s men started the campaign with a 1-1 draw against Posta Rangers, a match they conceded first courtesy of Henry Juma’s strike. In the second half, Beja Nyamawi netted the levelled to secure a point for the visitors. Bandari’s chances of finishing in the top four are now slim with AFC Leopards, showing some glimpses in the league to finish among top teams.
Tusker FC, Police FC and also Kenya Police are the likely teams to fight for the top four spots including AFC Leopards.
We are giving Bandari a 40% chance of finishing in the top four.