Kimoto keeps Singida grounded after winning start

SINGIDA: SINGIDA Black Stars Head Coach Papy Kimoto has warned his players to stay grounded despite their 3–0 victory over Fountain Gate FC in their Mainland Premier League opener at Airtel Stadium in Singida on Friday. Kimoto said the team is still a work in progress and cannot afford to get carried away by the convincing win.

“I am happy, but there were still a lot of mistakes. The team is not ready yet, and we will certainly work harder to keep developing the team in all areas,” Kimoto said.

Singida took the lead in the 29th minute through Jonathan Sowah before substitutes Yusuph Khamis and Methew Tegisi scored in the 82nd minute and stoppage time, respectively. Kimoto said Singida deserved the victory but should have settled the match earlier after creating several chances in the first half.

“We deserved to win today because even in the first half we created a lot of chances that we missed. We could have killed the match in the first half, but we didn’t do so, and that’s football,” he said.

Fountain Gate improved after the break, but Kimoto said his side remained in control and was not seriously threatened. He also commended his substitutes for making the difference after coming on.

“My substitutions were fantastic; they came back into the game at the right time to make the difference,” Kimoto said. Kimoto’s main concern is his team’s limited preparation. He said Singida had only three weeks to prepare for the new season, which he believes is not enough.

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“To properly prepare a team physically, you need six weeks, which we don’t have,” he said. The coach called for patience as Singida prepare for their next matches, saying the team must keep working and improve before their progress can be properly assessed.

New signing Marcel Canadi also made a positive start to his Singida career, providing an assist on his debut. The Austrian professional footballer, who is experiencing African football for the first time, said the club and his team-mates had helped him settle quickly.

“It was important for the team to have a good start and get three points,” Canadi said. “The club and the boys made it easy for me to get into the team as fast as possible.”

Canadi said he is still working towards full fitness after experiencing minor problems during pre-season, but hopes to make a bigger contribution as the season progresses. “I still get fitter every week. I just want to enjoy the game, give joy to the people and make our team as successful as possible,” he said.