Where is Aussems? Juma says he’ll jet back on Wednesday amid club jitters

AFC Leopards are racing against time to get their their act together, with just six days left to their start of the  2021/21  season.

The big cats are primed to have a tough opening day when they face champions Tusker on Sunday. And as if that is not enough, team’s head coach Patrick Aussems, who left for his native Belgium is yet to report as time runs out.

Aussems left the big cats last term, with three matches to go to end of season, in what the Leopards leadership termed as “an early break as it would have had no bearing on the final table standings.’

However, with the clock ticking towards the new season, jitters are emerging as to whether he’ll return.

His assistant, Tom Juma, who has held fort in his absence, has however moved to calm those fears saying that his boss should be in Nairobi this Wednesday, to sharpen Ingwe’s claws ahead of the new campaign.

“Just as I had shared with you last time, we are sure he will be flying in this week and therefore by Wednesday he will be in here with us,” Juma told Citizen Digital on Monday.

Leopards rivals like Gor Mahia, KCB and champions Tusker have signed a number of players to strengthen their squads in order to battle it out for the title but at Ingwe nothing has happened except player exodus.

Nevertheless, the Leopards legend is confident the 12-time champions are ‘very ready’ to use the weapons at their exposal to challenge for the title after a disappointing 2020/21 season.

“There are teams that you will never hear them say,  let’s now play this season to finish fourth or just be in the mid-table positions. Teams like Gor Mahia, AFC (Leopards) their targets will forever remain the same year in year out, to win silverware,” Juma said, adding: “Have you ever seen at  the beginning of the season our rivals Gor Mahia declaring that let us just settle for the mid-table slots?”

After squaring it out with Tusker FC this Sunday, they’ll face off with last season’s first runners up KCB and then Gor Mahia, in what is viewed as a nightmare fixture list.