Shabana fans visit Ngong Hills for prayers over poor performance
In a rare scene never witnessed before in Kenyan football, a section of Shabana FC fans descended Ngong Hills on Sunday to seek divine intervention for their team before their crucial final ten Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League matches of the season.
The Kisii-based Glamour Boys have not enjoyed a good run since their promotion to the top-flight as they are currently languishing second from the bottom of the 18-team table with 18 points from 24 matches.
Led by the team’s national fans’ chairman Charles Mochena, the fans numbering 125 were heard singing in Kiswahili: “Eee Mungu tunakuomba uilinde timu yetu ya Shabana isaidie iweze kushinda mechi zake ambazo zimebaki,” loosely translated to in English: “God we kindly request you to protect our team Shabana and help them to win their remaining matches in the league,” as they formed circles and prayed in low tones.
Speaking after the conclusion of the prayer session, Mochena said the fans had been forced to take the route of praying for the team because their results in the league were not pleasing and further revealed that another prayer session with a similar purpose would be held at Manga Hills on Sunday.
“Shabana have been given the support any team needs to perform in the top-flight, the management has done everything to keep the players happy, and the fans have also been turning out in large numbers to support the team (when in action) but what they give us in return is not good enough,” Machena told People Sports.
“It is the reason we felt prayers could help, we descended Ngong Hills to pray for the team, our coach, and the players to get enough strength and courage to win their remaining matches so that we can be able to keep our status in the league. On Sunday, we will also have a similar prayer session in Manga Hills, we want to talk to our Gods, we want to see for divine intervention and I know things will be positive when we resume league action.”
Machena’s sentiments were echoed by club official Stephen Kiama, who said: “Honestly speaking, I don’t know why Shabana is not winning their matches, we have given the team all the support they require to play at the top level, and it was a good gesture from the fans to put the team in prayers, maybe the team committed sins (we are not aware of) but deserve prayers.”
Tore Bobe have managed four wins, drawn six, and lost 14 times. They are one point above bottom-placed Nzoia Sugar and four points below Muhoroni Youth, who are sitting 16th. After the FIFA international break, they will resume league action with a home game against Posta Rangers on April 6, take on Muhoroni Youth away on April 14 before hosting Kakamega Homeboyz on April 20.
But before the game against Posta Rangers, they will face AFC Leopards in a Round of 16 fixture of the Mozzart Bet Cup on March 31.
