Kayole Youngsters are living and thriving on BB Bread alone

The Nairobi East Regional League Zone B side beat AFC Leopards 4-3 on post-match penalties after a 2-2 draw in regular time to advance to the round of 32 on February 8.

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Last Sunday they slayed the record 21-time Kenyan champion Gor Mahia 1-0 with striker Dennis Muthini scoring late in the game, to make it to the round of 16. 

Killing two giants in rapid succession has given the club’s technical bench and players belief that they can go all the way and lift the Kenyan domestic Cup.

A smiling Okoba told Nation Sports that more is yet to come from his unfancied side which boasts of young, grassroots players from Kayole, Jogoo Road and other estates in Nairobi.

“The only senior player in my squad is former AFC Leopards goalkeeper Ezekiel Owad. My players are from estates and local sides,” said the 37-year-old Okoba, who confessed his phone has not stopped ringing with many people calling to praise him for his achievement thus far in the Mozzart Bet Cup.

He singles out forwards Muthini, Joseph Kindo, and defenders Moses Nyuol and Reagana Chavulimu for praise.

So, how did he engineer the downfall of Leopards and Gor?

He said he took his time to study the style of Charles Akonnor (Gor coach) and Fred Ambani (Leopards coach) before coming up with his game plans.

Brink of disintegration

“For Leopards, their strength is in the midfield but they struggle to recover the ball when they lose it while their defence is shaky. Their attack depends on the flow of the game. For Gor Mahia, their pace is good but once you outdo them in the midfield, they are very vulnerable.

“A drew a plan for them. Before we played Leopards I tried to motivate my players and instill courage on them. I told them we have nothing to lose against a big team. It paid off as we scored first and held on until post match penalties. We were confident in the shoot-out,” he said.

“For Gor, we locked them out and when an opportunity came, we pounced on it.”

Okoba, a former goalkeeper, says belief and tactical prowess worked for him in the two matches and he will unsheathe the same approach in the round of 16.

According to Okoba, beating Leopards and Gor is a big achievement but winning the tournament is not very much in their minds.

“That calls for massive planning once we know our round of 16 opponents. We know, because of what we have achieved in the tournament, teams will henceforth by wary and cautious when playing against us,” said the tactician, who is also a businessman.

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What a journey it has been for BB Bread FC.

Founded in 2010, and originally known as Kayole Youngsters, they were on the brink of disintegration after being relegated to the FKF Division Two last season.

Kayole-based Bakor Bakery came to their rescue when they offered to sponsor the team leading to the name change.

“Bakor has fully supported this team and pays salaries of our players. The company is even interested in talent growth and we really appreciate its impact on our lives,” said Okoba.

After eight matches in the Nairobi Regional League, BB Bread are unbeaten. They top the 16-team table on 22 points from six wins and one draw.

Meanwhile, Okoba will be hoping to hang on to his players who have suddenly attracted suitors from bigger clubs.