Shabana FC coach Sammy Okoth believes their season has just started after they defeated Tusker 1-0 in an FKF Premier League fixture at Kasarani Stadium on Friday.

Heading into the matchday six contest, the promoted Tore Bobe had not tested victory, managing three draws and two defeats. However, against the Brewers Shabana played a better game and they were forced to wait until the 70th minute when Vincent Nyabuto nodded home a cross from Rogers Aloro.

Speaking after the game, Okoth said: “It brings happiness to the team to win after a frustrating opening five games and we have been conceding goals 90 plus minutes and people had already started to get used to it as a weapon to punish us, but today, we have done it in a different way and got our first win in the league after 17 years.”

With the team managing to keep a clean sheet for the first this season, the former international said this will motivate his players for better shows in future matches.

“For me now I feel the league has just started if you look in every game we play, there is some improvement, the players are motivated to improve more, and against Tusker we took the lead and sealed the loopholes of giving away a goal in the closing minutes,” said Okoth.

He added: “By keeping a clean sheet against a dangerous team like Tusker, it means if we can manage to avoid conceding then we have the chance of winning our subsequent matches because we have a good striking force that is working hard to give us the goals.”

Meanwhile, Tusker coach Robert Matano, who was besieged by angry fans at the end of the game demanding for answers, blamed the defeat on his players’ missing the urgency to finish off the game.

“It is unfortunate to lose, we didn’t play the way we wanted, we lacked the urgency, we lacked the composure and that is why we lost, we didn’t play well and it is not because of our fans,” said Matano.

The Kisii-based Glamour Boys will next face Nairobi City Stars at Homabay Stadium after the international FIFA break on October 22 while Tusker will face champions Gor Mahia on October 21.