Sofapaka head coach Divaldo Alves says he is excited with the return of regular skipper George Maelo ahead of this weekend’s trip away to Ulinzi Stars in Nakuru. Maelo missed the league opener against Posta Rangers due to work commitment.

“I am very happy that he is back because he is not only a good player but a leader on the pitch. When he talks his teammates listen to him and it is very important to have such a figure in the team especially with several young players,” the tactician stated.

Maelo has trained with the rest of the players for the last two weeks and is in contention for a place in the team that travels to Nakuru. The defender is looking forward to vying for three points against Ulinzi and believes the team will bounce back from the losing start.

“It will be a tough game away from home but looking at how we have trained this week, I think we are in very good shape. We are focused and everyone knows how important it will be for us to win and bounce back,” Maelo said.