AFC Leopards coach Patrick Aussems has revealed he had to change the team's playing style to fit into a 'miserable' Thika Sub-County Stadium pitch in the 2-1 win over Wazito FC.
The two teams met in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League assignment on Sunday and it was James Kinyanjui who opened the scoring first in favour of the hosts.
However, the 13-time champions levelled matters courtesy of the red-hot John Makwatta. Nigeria import Ojo Olaniyi then grabbed the winner to give the visitors maximum points.
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Big frustration
Despite collecting the victory, Aussems was not impressed with the state of the pitch which made him change the team's approach.
"Due to this miserable pitch, we had to change our playing style. Big frustration! But most important is the victory! Special thanks to our fans who came in large numbers in an away game! I hope to see you even more on Friday (sic)," the former Simba SC coach pointed out on social media.
He went on to explain that the condition of the pitch forced him to substitute the 'technical' Makwata for Olaniyi.
"It was a struggle for [Makwatta], or do you think this was a game for him?" Aussems posed a question to journalists.
"With long balls like that and a bad pitch, no. He is a more technical player and we had to substitute him and let him play and make a difference on Friday [at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani]."
After losing their 18 top players at the beginning of the ongoing season, the former champions had to deal with players from their junior team.
They had to adjust their target from pushing for the title to a top-five finish. Ingwe are currently placed ninth on the table with 34 points from the 24 league matches they have played.
On Friday, April 15, the team will be playing Wazito once again hoping for a win to push them up the table. The latter are in the relegation zone having collected just 20 points in the ongoing campaigns.
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