Allan Okello Reveals Emotional Halftime Pep Talk That Sparked His Winning Goal for Yanga

Uganda Cranes starboy Allan Okello has opened up about his goal that delivered three points for Tanzanian champions Yanga in their win over KMC on Wednesday.

Okello was the man of the match as Yanga beat KMC 1-0 at the KMC Complex in Dar es Salaam to maintain their five-point lead over rivals Simba SC at the top of the table.

The game was tight with Yanga creating a number of chances in the first half but failing to utilise them until in the second half when Okello slotted home after 65 minutes.

Just stationed on the edge of the box, Shekhan Ibrahim brought in an incisive pass that Okello met and on the half-turn, he unleashed a low shot into the net, Yanga holding on for their 15th win in 21 matches.

Okello says the team had a tough half-time pep talk that woke them from their slumber after a first half in which they dominated but failed to make it count.

“We missed a lot of chances in the first half and coming back in the second half, we had to get more chances and we utilised it,” Okello told the club’s media. “We thank God for the three points today and we keep going one at a time.”

“From the first half, we kind of got the same chances but did not use them, we opened a lot of spaces and created a lot of chances in the first half, in the second half, they got confidence and were closing a lot so for us, we had to shoot from outside and get one more opportunity in the box and I thank got it came through me,” Okello further said, before revealing how a halftime rallying call pushed them to the win.

“Everyone was so moody in the dressing room [at halftime], we all wanted to win because we need to win each and every game and thank God we won today.”

Okello’s goal took his tally to three for Yanga and he also has seven assists since his big-money arrival from Vipers SC in the January transfer window.

Yanga are looking to make it five league titles in a row as they have 51 points from 21 games, five more than second-placed Simba, and Okello will be needed to continue delivering under new coaches Abdihamid Moalin and Patrick Mabedi who were installed on Wednesday following the sacking of Portuguese tactician Pedro Goncalves.