Shabana 26/27 preview: Is Egyptian coach Fathi the man to end wait for first league title?

They have steadily transformed themselves from returnees to a team capable of finishing among the leading pack.

Their first season back, in 2023/24, ended with a 14th-place finish.

Tore Bobe climbed to fifth the following season and repeated that position last term, a run that has given the club a platform from which to aim higher rather than constantly looking over its shoulder.

That progress has now brought a change in direction, with the club making perhaps its boldest appointment since returning to the top flight.

Ahmed Fathi Abdalla Ibrahim has walked through the gates as the club’s first foreign head coach in its modern history; he comes with a different footballing culture and a CV built across several countries and leagues.

For a club that has traditionally relied on Kenyan coaches, handing the dressing room to an Egyptian represents a calculated gamble, but one that has been received with considerable optimism within the Tore Bobe family.

When Danish coach Flemming Jacobsen arrived in 1997, his immediate task was not to chase trophies but to keep the club in the top flight, something he achieved before leaving a lasting impression at the club.

His relationship with the Kisii giants endured beyond his initial spell, with the Dane returning to the club on several occasions and becoming one of the foreign coaches whose names remain woven into its history.

John Champion also left his imprint during his time in Kisii, and Fathi now gets the opportunity to write his own chapter.

The Egyptian does not arrive as a coach with a cabinet full of trophies, and that is perhaps not what attracted the club most, but his appeal lies in the breadth of his football education.

A holder of the CAF A Licence, Fathi has worked in the Egyptian Premier League with Ismaily and El Gouna in assistant coaching roles before taking charge of Ghanaian side Swedru All Blacks in his first major head-coaching assignment.

His technical experience also extends to Asia and Europe, which gives him exposure to football cultures well beyond his native Egypt.

Glamour Boys, therefore, this is more than replacing one coach with another.

It is an attempt to introduce a new footballing voice to a team that has spent the last two seasons knocking on the door of the upper reaches of the league.

The expectation inside the club is that Fathi can provide the final push.

That ambition is also visible away from the competition itself.

The club’s social media activity has offered glimpses of birthday celebrations, team bonding and relaxed training sessions, suggesting a dressing room where the players are enjoying their football and building relationships.

Such moments do not guarantee points on Saturday or Sunday afternoon, but in a long season, a healthy dressing room can be worth its weight in gold.

There is, however, another adjustment awaiting the supporters.

With the reconstruction of Gusii Stadium, the traditional home of the Glamour Boys, will not host them at the start of the new campaign, the club has relocated to Afraha Stadium in Nakuru.

The travelling supporters will have to make a new ground feel familiar, while the players will have to ensure that the change of surroundings does not dilute the home advantage that comes with playing before the passionate Tore Bobe faithful.

Fathi will have Hesbon Nyabinge and Andrew Ongwae alongside him on the technical bench as the club seeks its first major piece of silverware in the modern era.

Transfer Business

Bixente Lizarazu Otieno arrived from Posta Rangers, while Pavelh Ndzila joined from Tusker to strengthen the goalkeeping department.

Dennis Wanjala, also from Tusker, adds another option at left-back, while Sigmunn Maina Irungu arrived from Swedish side AIK Framtid to inject creativity and attacking intent into midfield.

Former Nairobi United captain Daniel Bichiok brings experience and leadership, while Kenya U20 forward Luis Ingavi returned from the United States to continue his career with the Glamour Boys.

Then there is Jasper Omwando, whose arrival has generated plenty of curiosity around the camp.

There have been departures, too, with defender Wycliffe Omondi Awiko joining Nairobi United and goalkeeper Stephen Ochieng moving to Tanzanian side Pamba Jiji.

Bronson Nsubuga, Gilbert Abala, Mambote Batshi Assis, and Mark Okola left the club.

Pre-season

After a failed trip to Tanzania where they were set to play Azam, Coastal Union and Pamba Jiji, the Glamour Boys returned and pitched camp in Nakuru.

The campaign opened with a remarkable 10-0 victory over Kamel Park Rangers at Cardinal Otunga Mosocho, before the team moved to Nakuru for a mini-camp.

Nakuru Bucks were beaten 3-0, followed by a 3-1 victory over Nakuru Combined at Afraha Stadium, while Migori Youth also fell 1-0 to the Glamour Boys.

The winning run continued with a narrow 1-0 victory over Kakamega Homeboyz at Mumias Sports Complex, with Brian Michira providing the decisive goal.

An 8-1 demolition of Ong’icha Secondary at Cardinal Otunga produced another avalanche of goals.

A goalless draw against second-tier newbies Mfalme provided a more subdued ending to the sequence, but overall the preseason has given the team enough material from which to begin shaping

Players to watch

Jasper Omwando is my pick to watch this season, largely because of the element of the unknown about what he can produce once the competitive matches begin.

The youngster arrives with a reputation earned outside the Premier League after being named MVP of the 82 Ultimate Cup, and his preseason involvement has only strengthened the feeling that there could be something exciting waiting to emerge.

His direct running, movement and eye for goal give the attack another dimension, although the Premier League will demand that he reproduce those qualities against more experienced defenders.

Sigmunn Maina Irungu is another player who has caught the eye early.

Since arriving from AIK Framtid, the attacking midfielder has shown strong signs during training and has placed himself firmly in contention for an important role under Fathi.

His creativity could become particularly valuable in a midfield that lacked consistency at times last season.

Derrick Oketch is perhaps the more intriguing case. Those who have watched him closely during training describe a player who appears livelier and more confident than in previous seasons, and that change could be significant if it survives the transition from training ground to competitive football.

Brian Michira, meanwhile, offers something different. He already understands the demands of the Premier League and was among the regular contributors last season

How ready are the Glamour Boys?

There is little doubt that the defence has been given greater depth.

Collins Okumu‘s arrival from Malawian side Nyasa Big Bullets adds another experienced option, while Bichiok brings versatility and leadership to a department that has retained several members of last season’s squad.

Between the posts, the situation looks even healthier.

Ndzila and Lizarazu Otieno provide genuine competition, leaving the Egyptian with two experienced options as he decides who gets the gloves.

The attack, however, remains the department that raises the biggest question.

Ingavi and Omwando bring fresh energy, while Derrick Otanga‘s arrival from Kakamega Homeboyz adds another forward with Premier League experience.

There is enough quality to be optimistic, but the combinations are still developing, and preseason goals cannot hide the fact that the new arrivals must quickly learn each other’s movements.

Projected finish

Tore Bobe have come a long way since ending that 17-year wait.

The 14th-place finish of their first season back has been replaced by two successive fifth-place finishes, and the club now has a squad that appears capable of competing in the upper half while possessing a coach with an international outlook.

But there is a difference between finishing fifth and challenging for the championship, and I believe the Glamour Boys are still one or two pieces short of making that final leap.

My prediction is sixth place in the FKF Premier League and a place in the Mozzart Bet Cup final.

I do not see the league title coming to Kisii/ Nakuru just yet, but I would not be surprised if Tore Bobe ends the season with silverware.

The mountain has already been climbed steadily since that long-awaited return; the next task is to find out just how close this new-look Glamour Boys side can get to the summit.