Grim reaper alert: Tusker coach warns AFC Leopards on league title chances

By Omondi Onyatta3/22/2026Sports

NAIROBI, Kenya, March 22, 2026 – Two matches into his reign, Tusker FC coach Julien Mette conceded defeat in the Kenya Premier League title race.

The Frenchman, however, vowed that the brewers will be a team reborn, different from that of his predecessor, Charles Okere, which had been inconsistent in their performances.

Three matches later, Tusker are yet to lose a game under the former Rayon Sports tactician.

Their transformation has been there for all and sundry to see as Mette has imparted a new mentality in his players – moulding them into mean killers on the pitch.

Mette has also incorporated an attractive brand of football in a team that was more accustomed to a pragmatic style in which brawn took precedence over beauty.

For all that, Mette’s biggest test yet comes on Sunday when they visit Nyayo Stadium to face title-chasing AFC Leopards.

Samuel Ssenyonjo and Ronald Sichenje celebrating after scoring against Tusker FC in FKF PL match at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday, Jan 11. Photo/AFC LEOPARDS X ACCOUNT

The first round encounter between the two sides ended in a 4-0 win for Ingwe, one of the brewers’ heaviest defeat this season.

However, the Frenchman has warned Fred Ambani’s side of a torrid time when they meet on Sunday afternoon.

“They have to play with that feeling and let’s say the sense of revenge, even if in normal life revenge is no good. As a competitor you need to have that pride…It’s not acceptable to lose 4-0, so they have to take their revenge,” Mette says.

He adds: “We’re going to see the reaction of the guys, but of course it’s a new team, with new instructions, with new way to play, new shape of system, so even if it’s 80 per cent of the same players, they have changed. I think Leopard will be in trouble if they expect the same team as the first leg.”

Could Tusker play the role of a grim reaper to Ingwe’s title chances and bury them once and for all?

Ambani’s charges sit second on the Kenya Premier League log with 46 points, 10 adrift of leaders Gor Mahia.

It may seem as if K’Ogalo have it all sewn up; however, with 13 games to end of the season, there is no reason why Leopards should not keep hunting for the kill to the very end.

Mette was in the stands on Wednesday evening to watch Sunday’s opponents labour to a 2-1 victory over Nairobi United at the Nyayo Stadium.

Having done his homework on the 12-time league champions, he believes Leopards will be under pressure to perform – which he considers a good omen for his charges.

“I think it will be more a mental game than a technical or tactical game, because Leopards have a lot of pressure on the shoulders. They have a lot of fans and they are expecting titles and they are very close to finishing the season with zero titles,” Mette observes.

The fermentation process

Even though Tusker are the in-form team of the moment, Mette believes their fermentation into a championship-winning side is not complete.

The baby steps the process has made has encouraged him, particularly with regards to the unity in the dressing room.

Tusker FC players celebrating against Kakamega Homeboyz. PHOTO/Tusker FC

Mette reveals there are more united than ever, likening previous challenges to a marriage, which must always go through rocky periods.

“For sure it changed a lot, you can see in the atmosphere, in the dressing room or just before starting the session, the boys are a family and they are brothers. It doesn’t mean that they were not before, but when you have a defeat, it’s tense, like in a marriage. When you have a problem at home, it could be tense, but it’s still your wife or your husband…it’s the same here,” he describes.

His reign began with a 1-0 loss to Shabana at the Gusii Stadium on February 21.

However, they recovered to upset Murang’a Seal by a solitary goal in Kirinyaga before drowning Kariobangi Sharks with a 2-1 scoreline.

A 2-0 victory over Bidco United in the FKF Cup was followed by a similar scoreline against Kakamega Homeboyz in Kirinyaga, a week ago.

This winning run has helped the players grow closer to one another and enhanced their belief on and off the pitch.

“The victories help us to have a better communication, to have more smile on the face and it helps a lot. So yeah, it’s a game of giving and receiving, the more you give a good atmosphere, the more chances you have to win and the more chances you have to win, the more the atmosphere is good,” the Frenchman explains.

He adds: “It’s a very happy moment after all the time they suffered. Now we are going to maintain that dynamics and let’s go 4-5 (wins) in a row. We just keep on maintaining our way to play, our philosophy. Every training session we push more, we improve that and correct some details.”

So far so good, Mette’s Midas touch has proven to be what the doctor ordered for the brewers.

A win against Leopards will go a long way in elevating the confidence levels within the team as well as in the Frenchman’s playing philosophy.

With Tusker still in contention for the FKF Cup — and a ticket to the Confederations Cup — it may not be a disastrous season as it has seemed for the most part of it.

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