Shabana FC Head Coach Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omollo expects his team to be in top shape at the start of the 2024/25 season, aiming for a strong start with the Premier League title in mind. Pamzo has been diligently assembling a largely revamped team during the ongoing preseason and is pleased with the new signings and the backroom staff additions.
Having narrowly escaped relegation last season, Pamzo, a former Gor Mahia coach, understands the importance of thorough preparations for a strong start on August 24. “We are in our second week of preseason. I’ve been working on conditioning the players to build their endurance. By the third week, when we begin friendlies, we should be in good shape. So far, the preseason has been going well,” he stated.
“When starting the preseason, you usually play lower division teams. So, we will play two lower teams from next week, and then in the fourth week, we will look for two high-profile matches, like Premier League teams and we will be ready to go,” elucidated the CAF A badge holder.
The former Posta Rangers coach is also happy that his transfers plan is going on well, and is confident he will have a strong squad to challenge any Premier League side.
“It’s just that there are four new players who are yet to join us, but I can’t disclose their names for now. However, the rest of the guys – the ones we have already unveiled are in camp and they are settling pretty fast. We hope to be on the same page, all of us, by the time we get into the last week of the preseason,” explained Pamzo.
Cliff Nyakeya, Maxwell Mulili, James Mazembe and Nicholas Meja are part of the already unveiled new signings, after the club remained with only 14 members of last season’s unit, releasing the rest.
“The good thing is that 90% of the players we were targeting have been signed, it’s just one signing that has not been completed. It is becoming a little challenging because the concerned club is refusing to release him. We are still in the market looking for a player, but basically, I’m done with the transfers,” he added.
Pamzo knows the importance of depth if the Glamour Boys are to achieve their target next season.
“What I’ve been looking at is if the players are good for the positions we wanted to fill this season. I also want a strong bench which I didn’t have last season. Last season, especially the last five games, I played with a few players. It means we really need to have a very strong bench, and that’s what I’m mainly focusing on,” said Pamzo, underlining the importance of competition within the team.
Pamzo, who has also handled Police FC in the recent past, is banking on his new backroom staff to strengthen the team’s technical stability.
“There are new requirements that the staff need to have, and now without proper papers, you cannot be part of the technical bench. That is why you’ve seen the changes. We have gotten other coaches like Godfrey ‘Solo’ Oduor from Nzoia Sugar, who I approached, and he agreed to be part of us. In terms of the technical bench, we are good to go.”
The ex-Kenyan international has called for collective responsibility from the entire Shabana family as embarks on the journey to challenge the perennial FKF-PL winners.
“All we need is hard work from the office to the technical bench and the players, because we have a strong squad now that can get the job done. I know we will be stronger, much stronger than last season. It is only for us to do the right thing. That means proper training, the right attitude from everyone, everybody willing to pull together, and players being fearless in every game,” Pamzo averred.
He hopes that the return to Gusii Stadium will also help pull more support from the fans.
“The good thing is we are coming back to Gusii Stadium. We will now feel at home. Last season, our home games were played in Homa Bay and others in Nairobi, so that transition was very difficult.
