It is yet again another tough season for Batoto Ba Mungu who are winless so far and continue to chase for their first victory of the campaign.
We take a look at struggles Sofapaka are facing this campaign;
2023/24 season review
Sofapaka survived relegation last season as they managed to finish 16th on the log of 18 teams. They had to play in the playoffs against National Super League side Naivas in a two-legged promotion to decide their fate.
Ezekiel Akwana’s men survived following a 2-0 win on aggregate, securing two wins on both legs with a 1-0 scoreline.
Out of 34 games, Sofapaka managed to secure nine victories, nine draws while losing 16 games in the process.
In the domestic tournament, Sofapaka were knocked out of the Mozzartbet Cup in the semi finals stage by Kenya Police. Sofapaka, who were a match away from storming into the finals, suffered a 4-0 loss.
A repeat of last season’s struggles
Sofapaka seems to have picked from where they left last season, four games without a win so far. They were given a tough task in their opener, facing Tusker FC where they suffered a 1-0 loss before losing to Talanta FC with the same scoreline.
On matchday three, Benjamin Mosha scored the leveller to force a 1-1 draw against returning Mathare United, their only goal of the season so far. Their forth match was against Mombasa based side Bandari FC where they suffered third defeat of the season by just a solitary goal.
Tactical issues or lack of depth?
Sofapaka’s main issue has been squad depth with the club selling a number of players without bringing in replacement. Batoto Ba Mungu were handed a transfer ban by FIFA and could not sign any player during the summer window. The ban, which has already been lifted by FIFA, was because of the club's breach of contract issues with ex-Burundian players David Nshimirimana, Fiston Razak, and Moussa Omar.
As much as many will say Sofapaka lack tactical approaches in the league, it is evident that the club has no depth. Sofapaka released a number of players as they were raided by KPL clubs. Posta Rangers snatched Amos Asembeka while Jacob Onyango headed to Tusker FC. Derrick Ngoobi and Andre Kalama signed for Express FC, Uganda and Nairobi City Stars respectively.
Other players who left include Nixon Omondi, Simon Munala, Stephen Okola, Moussa Omar as well as Fiston Abdoul.
Sofapaka’s squad depth is wanting and are likely to continue with the struggle before the transfer window opens next year in January.
The relegation battle: what lies ahead for Sofapaka?
Sofapaka’s possible solution is bringing in new faces to revamp their squad to once again become competitive. The transfer window is already closed and despite the ban being lifted, the club cannot do any transfer business now until January,
January transfer window happens to be a short term fix hence we see Sofapaka struggling for the remainder of the season. They will be facing some tough fixtures of clubs who have already prepared themselves with a good squad.
Sofapaka are also facing one of the biggest challenges as they are hunting for sponsorship. According to Sofapaka Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ronald Okoth, the club’s main objective is to avoid last season’s mistake while securing a sponsorship.
We are predicting a 60% probability that Sofapaka will finish outside the top 10 this season.