AFC Leopards head coach Fred Ambani has leapt to the defense of his team captain Kayci Odhiambo after a missed penalty denied Ingwe all three points in a cagey FKF Premier League encounter against Shabana FC on Sunday, October 25, 2026.

The versatile ace had a golden opportunity to decide the tie after Leopards were awarded a penalty around the hour mark following a foul on defender Samuel Semo inside the box.

However, Shabana goalkeeper Pavel Ndzila produced a vital save to deny the spot kick, keeping the scores level and helping the visitors secure a valuable point on away territory.

Speaking after the match, Ambani shielded his skipper from fan backlash, insisting that spot-kick misses are an inevitable part of football.

“We cannot blame him for the miss. He always takes them and scores. These are things that happen in the game, and we cannot blame him—such things happen in football. We will build from that. In our system, he is our first-choice taker,” Ambani said.

Game of two halves

Reflecting on the tactical flow of the match, Ambani acknowledged that it was a game of two contrasting halves while pointing to his forward line’s ongoing inefficiency in front of goal.

Game dynamics

“The game was of two halves. We were good in the first, but they dominated the second half after we withdrew Kelly,” he noted. “We got a point. Our main undoing is our striking department. Our strikers are still lacking confidence, and we have to work hard to get our clinical edge back in that area.”

With the point secured, AFC Leopards will now turn their attention to rectifying their offensive struggles in training ahead of their upcoming league fixtures.

The 2026 league runners-up were seeking back-to-back wins after snatching a late winner in their away clash to Police FC on match day 2. However, an inspired performance from the Cogolose keeper saw them leave with only one point. Leopards opened their campaign in a stalemate against Bandari in Nairobi.

The draw leaves the team in fourth place in the log with five points.