Harambee Stars Defender Explains How Salim Babu’s Impact Has Transformed Kenya Police
Omar has explained how Salim Babu’s impact since taking charge of the club in January has helped the side turn around a bad start to the season.
Kenya Police left-back Aboud Omar has delved into the reasons the side has enjoyed a good second half of the season since Salim Babu took charge of the club on an interim basis.
Omar has been a stalwart at left back for the side since Babu took over, with his direct competitor David ‘Messi’ Okoth transitioning to midfield on a full-time basis. This strategic move has helped the team produce consistent results, leading to a third successive third-place finish in the league and securing a place in the final of the FKF Cup, where they will face KCB with an eye on securing a ticket to the CAF Confederation Cup next season.
Speaking to Pulse Sports, Omar, who recently represented Harambee Stars during the World Cup qualifiers in Malawi against Burundi and Ivory Coast, revealed the significant impact Babu has had on the club, setting them on course to achieve their targets.
“The Police project is about wanting to win. We have big players with big names and they have done everything to support us,” Omar said. “They have a project that we, as players, must fulfill. We disappointed them last season by finishing third. We did not win the league and got eliminated from the cup.
“This time, we may have finished third again but we still have a chance to win the cup. The project is about qualifying for continental football. It was either winning the league or winning the cup. We want to go all out for the cup because we deserve continental football.”
Babu, who initially joined as assistant to Francis Baraza before taking over in September, also worked under Zdravko Logarusic. However, Logarusic’s tenure at Police was short-lived as he was sacked following a string of poor results and conflicts with the playing staff and technical team.
Babu has managed to unite the players and implement a style of play that has impressed both fans and pundits. Omar praised Babu’s leadership qualities as a significant factor in their improved form.
“The mentality of the coach has been top-notch. All these players at Police are experienced and part of the national team, so it needed a coach with the ability to bring everyone together. Babu came in and showed us love. We have that unity, which is the most important thing. That is good. We have a good run and we hope we will win the final.”
Police will play Kariobangi Sharks in their last league game of the season before facing KCB in the FKF Cup next Saturday.
