Despite waiting longer to make his debut in the Tanzanian Premier League, Kenyan midfielder Shaphan Siwa has already hit the ground running with his new club Kagera Sugar, and is looking forward to aid them in their battle to drag off the relegation zone.
Siwa, 27, was signed by Kagera from Kenyan side Tusker FC, after an impressive half season with the 13-time champions. In 15 games, Siwa had an impressive count of 12 assists and two goals to his name, averaging at least one goal contribution in every game.
His enviable form saw Kagera make the most advantage as he was out of contract, and offered a larger financial perk to lure him to Tanzania.
Their major reason for signing him is to help them wade off the drop zone, as they were hanging precariously bottom of the log. Siwa however had to wait for almost a month before making his debut, as the processing of his documents had taken longer than anticipated.
Siwa’s impact has been felt, and in their last league game against Pamba Jiji, scored a crucial equalizer in their 2-1 win. The three points were massive, as they lifted them off the automatic relegation spots into the play-off zone.
They are now on 19 points, three behind Pamba, and one above the red zone occupied by Tanzania Prisons. And now, Siwa is on a mission to keep feeding and banging goals, with the confidence that his new team will move off the relegation and push for a top 10 finish.
The midfielder spoke exclusively to Telecomasia.net from Kagera, explaining his desire and ambition, and revealing just how much he loves the Tanzanian Premier League.
- Looking at how the team has been performing over the last few matches, how confident are you that you have what it takes to avoid relegation?
- I am very much confident. Not just me, but the entire team is confident that we will get off that zone. The gap is still very much within our reach and we just need to win the next three or so matches and we will be squarely up for it. It is not an ideal situation to be in for any player but that is a challenge we have embraced and are working hard to get over.
- What has changed over the last few matches?
- I think the new coach who has come in has brought a lot of confidence into the team. There is a lot of motivation even from training because he has changed a lot on how we do things. People are motivated for games and even on matchdays, there is a clear plan of what we want to achieve as a team. He has given us a lot of freedom and confidence to play and I think that has played a big role in turning our fortunes. If you look at our games now we are playing better and dominating more.
- You scored your first goal for Kagera in a very important win against Pamba. How was that feeling for you?
- It was honestly an amazing feeling because I had really worked for it. It meant much more because it was an important goal for the team looking at how much the three points from that game meant for us. It took us out of the red zone and into the play-off position. The most important thing for me was winning as a team and the goal came as a bonus.
I had really wanted to make an impact for the team either by scoring or assisting because they had shown a lot of faith in me and I was also very hungry to continue with my form from Tusker.
- How much of a boost was that for you?
- It was a great boost mentally because now it has given me hunger to try and get more. I had been assisting a lot and so it was also nice to be the one scoring this time round. The goal has also helped sharpen my focus and now I want to take each game at a time and give 100 percent for the team. The most important thing for me is seeing the team get results. Whatever I get as an individual is secondary.
- How has it been settling in Tanzania, noting that you have come in mid-season?
- It honestly wasn’t easy at first because it took a long time for my paperwork to be sorted out and that took some momentum out of it. It drained me a lot because I was very eager to get started. I had left Tusker on a high and wanted to quickly continue in that form. However despite that challenge, I am thankful that I managed to settle in well.
I found a teammate who was really helpful in showing me around, telling me about the club and just making me comfortable. So I quickly felt at home.
- How different is the Tanzanian League from the Kenyan League?
- It is very different here. First, the league is very competitive because every team has quality players. When teams have good cash flow, it means they can sign quality and competitive players and that is the case here in Tanzania.
There is also so much passion for football here in Tanzania. Teams are hugely supported at home and the people really love football. Stadiums are always full and that brings a totally different atmosphere to the game.
In terms of style of play, teams in Tanzania mostly play possession based football and hence the pace is a bit slower. In Kenya it is a bit more direct so the pace is very high and also physical. But I am enjoying a different kind of experience here.-
- Finally, what are your short term and long term ambitions at Kagera?
- The short term ambition is definitely to see the team avoid relegation. We have seven matches remaining and for us each one is a final. We want to make sure we get off the drop zones and move higher on the standings.
In the long term of course I would like to see us competing with the top teams and being a big side here in Tanzania in terms of performance on the pitch.
