Blue Pirates coach Lijoodi explains winning formula against Wazalendo

GHF Blue Pirates head coach Bramwel Lijoodi has credited his team's fighting spirit to a pre-match challenge in which he reminded his players they had not travelled all the way from Western Kenya to Nairobi simply to return home empty-handed.

The motivational talk inspired the visitors to produce a commanding display as they defeated Wazalendo Masters 2-0 in a Kenya Hockey Super League match at the Impala Club grounds over the weekend.

Lijoodi revealed that he told his players a defeat would have made the long journey back home an ‘uncomfortable.’

Instead, Blue Pirates rose to the occasion with a disciplined performance that earned them all three points. The coach praised his players for embracing the challenge and urged them to maintain the same winning mentality in the matches ahead.

“I sat with the players and told them we need to win this game because we cannot travel all the way from Western just to come and lose a match because if we lost, how could we travel back home in the bus ? We could have been quite not talking to each other, but we have won and we have to carry on with the spirit.” said Bramwel Lijoodi

GHF Blue Pirates captain Stanley Omoyoi said they prepared well tactically against Wazalendo Masters, hence the victory.

“We man managed the game in the first two quarters before finishing strong in the last two. The game was decided tactically and how we executed our game plan,” said captain Stanley Omoyoi.