To have won 1-0 against Ulinzi Stars on Monday 18 April 2022, head coach Nicholas Muyoti admits the changes made in the second half did the trick.
In the Easter Monday game, City Stars were bullied off the ball in the mid of the pack by a physical Ulinzi lot but changed its approach in the second half with the introduction of attacking midfielder Oliver Maloba who went on to score the winner with five minutes left on the clock.
Maloba came on for defensive midfielder Charles Otieno who had picked his second straight start. His arrival spurred returning Anthony Muki Kimani changing the tide of the game.
“We deployed a new plan after the last game (vs Ulinzi on Sat 10 April) but that did not work for us in the first half,”
“We had to change things in the second half and that turned the game around in our favor. Credit goes to the team for stepping it up to eventually grab the win. We now shift focus to the next game.” added Muyoti
Part of the changes from the first Ulinzi game was the deployment of regular right-back Kevin Chumsy Okumu as a right-winger in place of John Kamau. Calvin Masawa, as captain, took his spot. Davis Agesa started ahead of Maloba.
Nicholas Kipkirui came on for Chumsy in the second half as Kamau replaced Agesa. Rodgers Okumu later came on for assist provider Ezekiel Odera.
Earlier on, before the end of the first half, there was a like-for-like substitution when Kenedy Onyango took up the place of injured Salim Abdalla.
Next up for City Stars is a game in Ruaraka against Sofapaka on Saturday 23 April 2022 starting 3 pm.
Lineup vs Ulinzi on Mon 18 Apr 2022
Nairobi City Stars: 16. Jacob Osano, 8. Calvin Masawa (C), 28. Herit Mungai, 27. Lennox Ogutu, 4. Salim Abdalla (25. Kennedy Onyango-45), 18. Sven Yidah, 19. Kevin Okumu (17. Nicholas Kipkirui-72), 3. Charles Otieno (21. Oliver Maloba-46), 30. Anthony Kimani, 11. Davis Agesa (15. John Kamau-72), 32. Ezekiel Odera (7. Rodgers Okumu-85)
Unused subs: 1. Elvis Ochoro, 2. Elvis Noor, 26. Dennis Wanjala, 5. Michael Madoya