FM23 - The most random journeyman save I've ever attempted - You Sell My Star, I Walk... Chapter 4 - Eritrea

[KibworthBull]

There are a huge number of playable nations in FM23 (if you download the Timo Megapack and the Qwert Megapack and combine them)

This idea was sparked by this thread by @TerminalPortugal and ideas have been stolen/twisted/adapted (whatever term you prefer) to create this challenge - the most randomised Journeyman save that I have ever considered..

I'll be using the below sources to dictate where in the world I will manage:

• FIFA World Rankings - a maximum of 211 nations - https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/men?dateId=id13869
• Random Number Generator - https://g.co/kgs/eBas8v

At the start of the save I will run the random number generator twice - between 1 and 211.

The 2 numbers that are returned will be the first nation that I need to find a club in and the second number will be the 2nd nation that I will manage in. At all times I will only have 2 countries loaded - the current and the next.

I can only move on once I have achieved 100 points

Points can be gained by:

• 100 points for winning the top domestic league (think of it as the golden snitch in Quidditch)
• 25 points for winning a domestic cup
• 25 points for a promotion
• 1 point for each player that plays for me at multiple clubs
• 1 point for each member of staff that works for me at multiple clubs
• 1 point for signing an American national for my club side (excluding if/when I am managing in the US, Mexico or Canada)

So in theory I can start low down the leagues in a nation, gain 2 promotions and 2 cups over the course of a few seasons and move on, or I can go into a nation and win the top flight straight off the bat in Yr1.

The manager will be randomised using this site - https://www.behindthename.com/

The first two nations within this challenge are:

• 33 - Cameroon
  • Fauve Elite
    • 100 points for winning the Cameroonian Elite One
    • 25 points for winning the Cameroonian FA Cup
    • Completed in 2023/24
• 26 - Ukraine
  • Hirnyk-Sport Horishni Plavni
    • 25 points for winning promotion from Ukrainian First League Group A
    • 1 point for hiring John Obi Mikel from Fauve Elite
    • 1 point for signing Loïc Bebey from Fauve Elite
  • Shakhtar Donetsk
    • 25 points for winning the Ukrainian Super Cup
    • 1 point for hiring John Obi Mikel and Vadim Nazarov from Hirnyk-Sport
    • 1 point for signing Kristijan Cvetanovski from Hirnyk-Sport
• 55 - Venezuela (pending)

Manager:

Dawson Hasim - a 30 year old from San Diego, California. Dawson is a late convert to "soccer" as he calls it (he's wrong...) and only managed to play "some" Sunday League in his past.

• Where will the journey take me? I dont know. 
• How long will the journey last? I dont know
• What dont I know? I dont know

 

Edited February 6, 2023 by KibworthBull
Missed a reference

[TerminalPortugal]

Nice idea, looking forward to this. I will be following.

[KibworthBull]

The Pre Amble..

As this is a custom database pack, the majority of the clubs in Cameroon don't have any managers, so there are 150 jobs available to me on Day 1 - all have been applied for. Part of the reason for having 2 nations loaded at all times, will hopefully remove this scenario again.

I'll admit that clicking on Apply all was a mistake... but thankfully it didn't take too long to land on our feet.

They are a top flight side, a professional side. Very much feels like I've landed on my feet.

Where though, is another question. I think it's somewhere here..

It's a two group top tier in Cameroon.

We are in Group B.

I've got no staff and the first game is in two weeks...

[KibworthBull]

October 2022

I want to create a travelling band of staff that follow me around the globe, I didn't expect a big name to join in straight off the bat..

We had no chance to sign anybody before we went straight into the league action.

Landry Djomo scoring the first goal of the save in an opening day draw.

A pleasing start. Stade Renard are among the favourites for the title.

[KibworthBull]

November 2022

Added in a couple of more ways of getting points:

• 1 point for each player that plays for me at multiple clubs
• 1 point for each member of staff that works for me at multiple clubs

I want to create loyalty throughout the save so taking players and staff across the globe - sometimes it might work out really well - Cameroon to Ukraine could be a logical step up. San Marino to Spain wouldn't you would expect.

It's Cameroonian Cup action and we start away to a lower tier side, new boy Alexandre Fressange with a double. He can't play in the league until next month so this was his first chance to show what he is about.

Followed by a couple of routine wins in the league.

We stand an excellent chance of making Cameroon a one season job

 

[KibworthBull]

December 2022

29 days between games, but we play our only league match of the month against YOSA (or Yong Sports Academy). The victory puts us top.

In the 3rd round of the Cup, Way Out Academy sit top of the 4th tier. A comfy victory as expected.

The transfer window opens and we have been busy...

Only 1 player has come in, a 16yr old from a 3rd tier side - he's gone back on loan to them to the seasons end

The departures are large - a lot of driftwood that needed moving on. I've got a few kids that I want to register so we also free up some slots for this.

[KibworthBull]

January 2023

New Year... New Us...

Coton Sports absolutely stuffed us.

Sometimes though it pays to have Mbappe up front...Hansi Muller Mbappé that is.. a hat-trick helps dispose of Stade Renard in the cup, in front of just 37 people!

Despite the early set back we finish the month (on the 8th January...) top of the table

It's tight at the top

Major recruitment done this month, a new first choice keeper. At 6'9 I dont think i've seen taller in FM before. A free transfer and he's already better than the rest of my keepers.

[KibworthBull]

February 2023

Up for the cup!!

Landry Djomo gets a double and Canon Yaounde can concentrate on the league. They sacked their manager hours later.

After a lot of convincing the board have finally allowed me to take a step on the ladder

It's fair to say Hansi Muller Mbappé had a decent game against UMS Loum, grabbing all 5.

Another hattrick in the league

Against Yafoot (4th tier) we rested a couple, and left it fashionably late. Philemon Tabékou on debut, just 16yrs old, scoring the leveller.

A perfect month

Coton Sport are dangerous, game in hand and we play them on the final day

[TerminalPortugal]

Going very nicely at the moment. Nice to see that your Mbappe seems to be as prolific in not more so than the French one.

[KibworthBull]

22 hours ago, TerminalPortugal said:

Going very nicely at the moment. Nice to see that your Mbappe seems to be as prolific in not more so than the French one.

I'm quite pleased with how the season has gone. He's my favourite Mbappe for sure!

[KibworthBull]

March 2023

Another year secured. Whether I stay for it I am not sure.

A smashing 4-0 win over Fovu Club was tarnished by the news that both Cyrille Atchom and Alexandre Fressange will miss most of the rest of the season with injuries. That's our right side..

After another win, we had Justin Mengolo to thank for getting a point against lowly Ainge Royal.

The month ends with Cameroonian Cup action. It's a Semi. We like a Semi.

Injuries and Suspensions meant we had 5 regulars missing from the squad, but thankfully we were able to completely outclass the oppo.

We can complete Cameroon next month

[KibworthBull]

April 2023

Big Month.

Country Completing Month.

Eding Sports beaten by the odd goal in 5, Coton Sport also won. So it's a 5pt lead, but they have a game in hand, and we play them at the end of the season.

The game in hand is won. So 2pts clear.

Which becomes 5pts clear as they lose their next match, and we beat YOSA 3-1

I'm not yet sure if that's 100 points and the nation secured as there is a Group A. I assume there's a winner takes all match.

A few days later..

The Cameroonian Cup was secured - that's 25 points in the bag.

The squad have gone on an end of season break so that must be it.

And with that..

Cameroon is ticked off..

But is this the end of the Cameroonian Journey? You'll have to wait to find out..

[KibworthBull]

Pre-Season Update

So has the decision been taken?

Yes it has.

The Cameroonian journey will continue for 1 more season, I really want to give the African Champions League a shot. We won the league fairly well - or at least our group and we also won the cup so there is some good pedigree about the squad. I want to see what this compares to the rest of Africa next season.

As soon as our Continental adventure ends, we shall get on that plane to Ukraine. I think.

The journey continues...

 

[KibworthBull]

August 2023

Quite a long off season, and a horridly tough start to the ACL

But before that we've been active in the summer.

• Souley Badamassi - Right Winger
• Serge Leuko - Right Back
• Boris Ngoua - promising keeper
• Kévin Assiga - back up Striker
• Michel Mvondo - Defensive Midfielder
• Luke Vikeme - first choice Centre Back, although a veteran

Leuko is the best of the bunch, a full Cameroonian International.

There will be no more additions as we have maxed out the wage budget (and then some..)

Only one of the outs is a concern. Seko is our best player but wanted £800 a week to even think about staying - 3 or 4 times more than our average player. I think it's the right call as he is 30 and past his peak.

Another reason for sticking around - i've recently discovered face packs...

And after spending an hour or so assigning the players to them, I want to use them for a bit!

[KibworthBull]

September 2023

This is the reason we are here...

Champions League.

Mbappe scores and we take the lead, they then get ahead before debutant Luke Vikeme gives us a draw.

We welcome them back to Cameroon and laid out gifts a plenty, and even allowed them to take the lead before we powered back and won it in the 2nd half.

Zesco United from Zambia are our next opponents. A much easier tie. But that's October.

On a previous version of FM, i managed Anse Reunion..

[KibworthBull]

October 2023

After nearly a month since the last round, it's a very quick turnaround with both legs in 3 days. We played a couple of friendlies in between.

Utter dominance in the home leg, but only the solitary goal. Here's hoping we are not left to regret that.

We were cruising thanks to double from Kévin Assiga but then they hit back with a couple of goals and absolutely peppered our goal for the 2nd half. We hung on!

Our reward..

Will have to wait - the next phase isn't until February!

My Education continues.. The A Licence has been started too

[KibworthBull]

November 2023

It's time to (finally) start the league campaign, two months after our AFC campaign started. And it's a start with a bang, 7 past PWD Bamenda

Another 7 in the next one.

It's probably fair to say we should win the league this year. 

The Cup (another trophy we probably should be winning) saw a debut for Duplexe Mpindi (Y), the only one of last years intake to get a deal. He got a couple of goals and might develop into something half decent. I may try and take him to Ukraine just to see what happens.

The final league game of the month was against a newly promoted side. They didn't stand a chance.

Only games played is stopping us being top

 

[KibworthBull]

December 2023

We're going to tiss this pin pot league...

Eding Sport beaten by 4, New Stars hit for 7 - both of these were top 3 sides before we played them.

Justin Mengolo has 13 in the league, in 5 games.

Two of our youngsters have got a chance at B level for the country.

New Stars got revenge over us in the Cup - I mean, we only beat them by 3 this time.

The last league game of 2023 and the last until mid February was a home game, and our worst league result of the season.

I'm using this time to get the best and brightest Cameroonians scouted and added to shortlists for my move to the Ukraine in the summer.

[KibworthBull]

January 2024

A break from the league.

1 game in the Cup.

Away to Canon Yaounde.

Justin Mengolo took his tally to 21 for the season with a treble, to set up a 2nd game in the month, home to a side in the 3rd tier.

The 3rd tier side actually ran us quite close.

In off the field news, we know our AFC Champions League Group.

ES Tunis and Swallows will present a challenge. Tunis have our star man from last year, and both Tunisia and South Africa are stronger nations than us.

We've also been able to trim the squad out a bit. Atchom played a bit last season but 4 games this season as we've improved.

Next Up - Champions League again

[KibworthBull]

February 2024

Now we get to the point of the season where we can see where we are - yes folks, the Champions League is back.

A routine league victory before Swallows FC came to town.

And boy was it tough, young "ace" Loïc Bebey rescued a point late on.

Away to ES Tunis, probably can't get tougher. Injuries mean that we don't have our regular or back up options at Left Back. We lose. This Champions League is tougher than the domestic league...

The biggest thing of note against Panthère Sportive du Ndé was that 4 of the 10 goals happened after the 90th minute. Didn't want to leave early for that one.

The league is probably already sown up. The Champions League is the battle for 2nd place. Swallows up next, Away.

[KibworthBull]

March 2024

First up - possibly the biggest game of the save so far.

Away to Swallows. Lose and we kiss goodbye the AFC for a while.

What a showing!!! Two very late goals but the icing on the cake, but that is HUGE!! 5-0

It's all about rotation in the league and the cup whilst we tick off the games and days before the next phase of AFC matches.

UMS Loum inflict our first defeat in the league, but we are still 7pts clear. Breaks a run of 23 unbeaten domestically.

Al-Hilal Omdurman are the whipping boys in the group, a nice tidy 2-0 sets up nicely before we welcome ES Tunis, who have already qualified with two to go.

Very much a point gained from Tunis.

It means we qualify in 2nd place

The AFC money has been put towards improving the training and youth facilities for the next guy.

My education has been completed for this nation - will start the Continental Stuff in the Ukraine.

[KibworthBull]

April and May 2024

Trophy month. Hopefully 2, outside shot of 3.

With qualification secured with a game left, we could afford to rotate and rest until the Quarters.

We go to Egypt in the Quarters. Zamalek.

Domestically, it's the league sorted with a couple of wins.

A youth prospect side were picked against Canon Yaounde. The fact we won 7-0 just shows the weakness of the league.

In the A side of the Elite One there is a team called Colombe Sportive du Dja et Lobo - they won their league last year, and retained it this year. We've never met. Until now, the Semi Final of the Cameroonian Cup.

We stuffed them. Glad to be moving to pastures new.

Zamelek came to us first. They got through their group stage unbeaten. So some decent pedigree.

Loïc Bebey continues his metioric rise with the only goal of the game. Is it enough. Thats the big question.

Sandwiched between the first and second leg is the Cameroonian Cup final, which we won.

Was the 1-0 win enough?

No...

Penalties our down fall...

Confirmation that Loic Beby is decent. 40th best wonderkid in Football

[KibworthBull]

The official closing of Chapter One..

It was all a little bit too easy domestically

Lots of strides made forward in the managerial attributes

Comparison from when we started to where we are now

[StalOlympus]

Great idea, it inspired me for a new save. Looking forward for the new challenges. I will be following.

[KibworthBull]

20 hours ago, StalOlympus said:

Great idea, it inspired me for a new save. Looking forward for the new challenges. I will be following.

Fantastic. Hope you enjoy the journey.

[KibworthBull]

July 2024

You join me 68 days after walking out of Fauve Azur Elite and into our new club.

Playing at the Yunist Stadium, it's 2nd tier Hirnyk-Sport Horishni Plavni. 

A professional club, they have been a 2nd tier side for most of the last decade after getting promoted from the 3rd tier. As far as I can tell, they have never been in the 1st tier.

Thinking about the Ukraine, I have a number of things I want to do:

• Sort out the finances, we are 2k over wage budget and nearly 300k in the red so we've got to cull the squad before we can really strengthen
• I want to be at one club in this nation so that means turning around this club. It was FM17 the last time I managed in the Ukraine and it's fair to say the landscape has changed somewhat. It took me the best part of a decade to break the Dynamo Kiev/Shakhtar Donetsk dominance
• The plan is to bring over some of the Cameroonian Staff and Players (for the points in the challenge), find some gems and build
• If we can get out of the 2nd tier in the next 2 seasons then brilliant and push on and establish ourselves as an established tier 1 side, maybe get the odd European adventure too.

We can but dream.

Now to really get to grips with the squad and get some faces loaded.. back in a day or two!

[KibworthBull]

August 2025

As it turned out - it didn't take too long to assess the squad. We have some good players and some dross. Kind of what you would have expected.

The finances are worsening but we have removed a number of players from the picture.

Just over 18k has been bought in and nearly 3k off the wage bill. Skliar and Solohub are both decent and I would have kept them but they were complaining and I couldn't convince them to stick around - they had less than 12 months left on their contracts.

Incomings. It started slow and then went Cameroonian..

• Danylo Tuzenko is an attacking midfielder on a free after his release from Vorskla - our senior affiliate
• Arseniy Kilyevyi comes from Dynamo Kiev and is a left winger
• Bohdan Khoma will be our No.1 keeper and is on loan from Premier League Kryvbas
• Illia Krupskyi is a right back from Vorskla, another season long loan.

Now we come to the Cameroonians and the reason my budget has gone..

Marc-Olivier Fodjo - back up Centre Back, Centre Mid and DMC. Jack off all trades. A free from a 2nd tier side. Probably not quite ready but has 5* potential.

Moussa Ngah was a free. Already our best left winger. Had two seasons in the 3rd tier behind him. Bit annoyed I didn't find him when I was in Cameroon.

Georges Mbah is our best right winger, a record signing at £13k which is probably over the odds, but what we wasted on Mbah, we saved on Ngah. £13k for the pair is a stonking deal. Thanks to the agents who recommended them both.

The squad itself looks quite good. Better than Cameroon is the initial assesment. Time will tell, the board are wanting mid-table.

Pretty much everyone is out of contract at the end of the season so a clean sweep is achievable if things don't quite work out.

Let's play some ball... (I am American remember...)

 

 

[DavidBeckham]

The trio of Cameroonians look solid, especially those wide players! Should get lots of assists and goals for you! KUTGW mate!

[KibworthBull]

September 2024

Yaroslav Kvasov will go down in history as the first player in this chapter to score a hattrick and it was a match-winning one (as you would hope it to be) - the very late show.

The transfer window closed and in the end 18 players have left the club - a large number of these on season long loans - the youth dross.

The Ngah and Mbah wing partnership is already proving reliable, 5 goals, 2 assists in the opening 3 games. 3 straight wins.

We enter the Ukrainian Cup at the Preliminary Round, travelling to a lower graded side, a fairly rotated side managed a 4-0 win with Mbah getting a double.

LNZ Cherkasy and ourselves were the only two sides with an 100% record before we met, they were 2 up inside 8 minutes and we never got a sniff back into it.

We were able to sneak past Epicentre before a 1st round tie against a Premier League side, we took them to extra time but eventually they pulled through.

Stupid FM... Where else can you play a GOALKEEPER

A strong month. I'm confident we can get into the Promotion Group. We sit top overall.

[KibworthBull]

October 2024

1 keeper recalled, 1 keeper injured, suddenly we are forced to play the keeper i've spent the last 3 months trying to force out the club. 

Moussa Ngah ensured we didn't need to worry about the keepers with a double and the month starts with a win.

Our form suggests that we are a good bet for the Promotion Stage, which is excellent. Promotion would get us 25 points.

The difference between the top of the Ukrainian league and the rest is very much like Scotland - so the remaining 75 points might take a while.

So close to a perfect month. An away defeat on the last match of October the only dropped stitch.

4 games left, almost secured the Promotion Group.

[KibworthBull]

November 2024

The end of the season already..

Well the opening phase.

Revenge gained over LNZ Cherkasy and qualification secured with victory at Epicenter.

We gave the squad a chance to feature in the remaining two games of the season. Of course Ngah and Mbah were the heroes, that's hard-coded..

Thanks Board.. that's roughly what we lose over a 5 to 6 week period.

The end of phase 1 results

We take a 6pt lead into the next phase - an unexpected bonus (I hadn't read the rules...)

We shall be back for the football action in March...

Yes really..

[KibworthBull]

December 2024 to February 2025

Time flies when your having fun trauling through endless scout reports

Mykyta Bezuhlyi is an experienced Centre Back with a good degree of top flight knowledge. No bells or whistles. Just does the things that Defenders need to do and does them well. Also enjoys big matches. He's 29 so wont improve but should see us through the next 18 months or so. He's cost £1.7k and that's spread over the next 12 months so basically a free right?

The Second signing is a free. Our new No.1 keeper for the remainder of this and next season. He's come from our senior affiliate. Denys Barchenko is a lot better than the keepers already at the club and we don't pay a penny towards his wages or anything.

The third and final addition is Maksym Bomashchuk a player with Dynamo Kyiv on his CV, but without playing for the first team. A good solid option and should improve.

In the out column are a number of players who were out of contract in the summer and we just want them off the wage bill. Matvey Santalov is the exception, I would have preferred to keep him but we've got good coverage in the wing positions and there appears to be plenty out there. Alongside the transfer deal, we get 50% of the next one.

We've managed to get our wage bill to £14 over the budget. Even with the additions so I would class that as a good window.

[KibworthBull]

March 2025

7 games over the next 5 months. We are 10pts clear of 5th place. The top 2 go up automatically and 3rd and 4th have to beat 13th and 14th in the Premier League over two legs to get promoted. We should get 1 of these 4 places.

Our veteran Yaroslav Kvasov got a double and we are off and running. Tempered slightly by Moussa Ngah breaking a bone in his toe. With games spread out he'll only miss a couple.

There's something about LNZ Cherkasy that mean we can't beat them at their place.

Well placed is the phrase

[KibworthBull]

April 2025

Could well be something of nothing. Just hope it's resolved by the summer as I don't need an embargo.

Yaroslav Kvasov recently got a new deal and the supporters were "surprised" as they didn't think he deserved one.. A hat-trick and we are another step closer to promotion.

Guess who was the match winner. 25pts achieved as we get the promotion to the big time.

Next season will be very tough - the big two are ma-hu-sive.

We pick up another point in the challenge by convincing John Obi Mikel to join the coaching staff. He was with me in Cameroon too.

The Chair is definately going..

and the very next day..

He's cleared the debt...

Let's call some meetings...

• I can't do a coaching course
• Junior Coaching has been improved to Adequate
• Youth Recruitment has become fairly basic

[KibworthBull]

May 2025

Just the 1 game this month.

For us it's meaningless.

A goal for debutant Artur Murza secured the win. He was on a free and is on par with Ngah.

After scrambling to improve the youth set up, we've been poached..

3 scholars signed deals this year. Konov has already made the first team squad.

[KibworthBull]

June 2025

Two games of football before we can relax and plan our debut season of Ukrainian top flight football.

A couple of routine victories. We are too strong for this level. Next season we wont be. We might have a good season but we are not winning the league (i.e. getting enough points to move to the next nation)

Georges Mbah and Moussa Ngah were fantastic - 36 goal contributions between the two of them. And they are still teenagers. It wont be long before the bigger European clubs start to take notice. We need them to be firing next season. Yaroslav Kvasov's 22 goals were brilliant - I'm not convinced he'll go again in the Prem but he has a deal. Illia Krupskyi is unlikely to be back next year as he has a 2yr extension with Vorskla.

In terms of the challenge we have picked up 26 points this season

• 25 points for winning Promotion
• 1 point for bringing a staff member from a previous club

A mere 74 more points before we can consider moving clubs/nations. Technically it's just Nation but I want to keep it to 1 club per nation if I can.

The overhaul begins now..

[KibworthBull]

Pre Season 2025

New Season New Ground

Due to the need to have a 5,000 capacity, we are renting Politekhnik, a 1960s, 11,490 capacity ground, 24km's from our place

Making that trip are a number of new faces. Most are familiar to each other as there are only 2 clubs to scout for released players in the Ukraine.

• Marko Kessel - back up keeper released from Shakhtar Donetsk
• Francisco Javier - a very good looking striker, signed from Damm (a Spanish Amateur side)
• Danylo Ishchenko - young left winger, released from Dynamo Kyiv
• Artem Benediuk - back up option in either full back position, released from Dynamo Kyiv
• Kristian Bako - first choice right back, released from Shakhtar Donetsk
• Mykyta Prokopenko - another option in midfield, season long loan from Karpaty
• Kyrylo Pashko - squad filler in midfield, another from Dynamo Kyiv
• Taras Halas - attacking midfielder from Vorskla - a season long loan from our senior affiliate

I really REALLY like Javier

Bako is another that seriously improves the side

In the Departure Lounge:

Lots of dross, nothing really of note. Free's up a heck of a lot of wage budget.

 

 

[KibworthBull]

August 2025

I say "August", it's actually the last 3 days of August...

The League is ON!!!

We host Polissia Zhytomyr in the opening match.

Quite simply a stunning way to start the season. Before we get too excited, our opponents are the only side expected to finish lower than us in the table, but 3 points is 3 points and the goal difference loves it too.

Debut doubles for Halas and Javier

We go to our senior affiliate in Vorskla without our 1st choice keeper or AMC - both on loan from our hosts.

3 goals in 5 first half minutes put us well and truly back in our place.

Ahead of the big two... can we stop the season now?

[KibworthBull]

September 2025

This month will show (I think) just how we will fare over the course of the season - a couple of winnable games, and some tough ones.

Metalist 1925 were smashed, mainly thanks to a hattrick from Moussa Ngah. Oleksandriia were beaten. Very pleasing start. We seem to be firing on all cylinders.

Victory over Minaj put us top of the table.

Before Dynamo Kyiv came to town.. Ngah secures the draw

10 changes for the Ukrainian Cup against one of the lower ranked sides in the league, the one player who wasn't a change (Mbah) scored the double.

Unbeaten month. Quite a bit beyond my expectation.

Both 2nd and 3rd should by pass us by the end of the season.

 

 

[KibworthBull]

October 2025

Francisco Javier has kicked off that he doesn't have a friend and hasn't settled, so I've bought in a friend. Not that Javier has noticed. Mbondi has just been called up to the Spanish U19s.

On the pitch, Kolos taught us a few lessons. As do Zoria.

The tide feels like it's turned - or more likely teams have worked us out a little bit. Quite frankly that's what we should have expected.

After an international break, where we had 2 players in the U19s, we travel to Metalist Kharkiv. We beat 1925 a month ago but Kharkiv are 3rd and well on form.

A victory BUT Georges Mbah will miss the next 2-4 weeks with an injury.

My 100st match as manager when we travelled to Rukh and the first in the save where NO Cameroonians featured. A victory followed by an away draw meant we finished the league month in 4th.

Then we went to Shakhtar in the cup... I watched through my fingers... as the new Chelsea bloke (Mudryk) smashes a hattrick.

 

[KibworthBull]

November 2025

The last month of football before we batten down the hatches until we get to March. 

Dnipro-1 and ourselves play out 90 minutes without a goal. Dynamo and Shakhtar though..

Kryvbas sat one place below us and battered us for the first half, but we were strong and grew into the game before winning our last home match of 2025.

Polissia and Metalist 1925 who are both at the wrong end of the table. 

For the 2nd time this season we put 6 past Polissia. Taras Halas gets 4.

Metalist game was nothing to mention.

Very pleased with how it stands prior to the winter break

[KibworthBull]

March 2026

An extremely busy 3 months off the field, with precisely 1 player leaving and 1 player joining..

Svyatoslav Stepaniuk has come in on loan for the rest of the season from Dynamo Kyiv, a tidy back up option on the right. Out goes Viktor Chernenko, a young full back who was never making the grade.

The new boy made his debut against FC Oleksandriia and will prompty sit on the treatment table for the next 6 weeks.. Francisco Javier got his first goal for 16 hours. But we lost.

5 first team squad injured and we travel to Shakhtar... we kept them out for 120 seconds...

Next to town are the senior affiliate so our No.1 keeper and AMC are automatically out. We were in the game for the majority but they are strong.

3 straight loses since the re-start, but the bottom side Minaj are next and they are yet to win all season

I hate injuries... Apart from Zykov, they would all be in the 16 each week.

Javier scores again and we ensure Minaj are still winless.

A new defender joins the club - Mykyta Peterman, he's been in Albania for the past few seasons but he's already a strong choice in our line up.

He made his debut against Veres. It's fair to say he didn't have a lot to do. We missed two penalties and still scored 8. One of the more random good days..

If we can have a strong finish then Europe is possible..

 

[KibworthBull]

April 2026

Positively flying towards the end of the season now. 5 winnable games and Dynamo Kyiv away.

Kolos up first, Francisco Javier coming to the party fashionably late with a double. 

In between that one and the Kyiv game we secured the permanent signing of Denys Barchenko for next season and the one after.

As for the game in Kyiv... seconds away from a win.. but we settle for a point.

The education continues. The B licence has been started too.

A simply stunning game against Rukh, we thought we had won it in the 95th minute, but were pegged back in the 96th. If we miss out on Europe, these are the games we will look back on and ask ourselves what if..

Quite simply we threw the game away against Zoria - they leap frog us too. Not a good moment

In the week both Moussa Ngah and Georges Mbah tell me they are exploring their options at the end of their deals, Nbah bags a brace and we finish the month inside the qualification zone.

An alright month. Should have been better though. Chasing pack have games in hand.

The ink is barely dry Denys..

[KibworthBull]

May and June 2026

Our biggest month since the last one..

Dnipro-1 away starts the 4 week period. We almost snuck a draw from it. Another late goal, more dropped points.

We absolutely must beat Chornomorets, they are near the relegation zone, and it's at home. Possibly last chance saloon. They were a man down for 89 minutes. 4 goals without reply.

We play 5th place Kryvbas next and then Shakhtar. So that's a maximum of 3 points. Dnipro-1 are in prime position.

The point gained means we must beat the unbeaten champions for any hope of Europe.

And like yeah... you know how that goes...

Not a great finish to the season, but an extremely solid 1st season at this level.

[KibworthBull]

End of Season Musings..

Our two Cameroonians have massively played their part this season. They are both out of contract in 12 months time and both have made it clear that they want to explore their options. I'm hoping to sell them to give me some cash to replace them. We will be a selling club for at least a few seasons whilst we try and close the gap on Shakhtar.

Georges Mbah topped the average ratings and most assists.

Moussa Ngah was our top scorer.

Our third best player was a loanee - so was the 4th best.

Taras Halas got a cool 15 from the AMC slot. You'll notice a "Bid" in - that now says "Trn" and he's our player for the next two seasons.

We've just had the sponsorship money so the finances look great.. by the end of the season we will be in significant debt.

Challenge Progress:

A very good season, but nothing gained. We are still on 26 points in Ukraine. A reminder that we need 100 points before we can move on.

Our Pre-Season plan is simple - sell the Cameroonians for as much as possible and try and find some rough diamonds in the retained lists.

[KibworthBull]

2026/27 Transfer Window

It's been a big summer.

We welcome new friends and welcome back some others.

Denys Barchenko has turned his loan deal into a perm deal and becomes the first choice keeper, Serhii Kiblytskyi comes in as deputy - he was one of the two players released by the big 2 over the summer. Taras Halas was here on loan and comes in as a perm again, and Daniel Golani is a right winger we secured in January. On paper he looks as good as the Cameroonian Two.

Up front Marjan Ristevski is one of two Macedonians that have joined the party, Kristijan Cvetanovski, a right back, is the other. Cventanovski is extremely good and we are lucky to have him.

Yevhen Isaenko can play in any of the forward roles - a bit of a journeyman, he's played a bit at this level without setting things alight. Vladyslav Pryimak is an experienced DM, and cover CD who adds to the squad - I expect both of these to be squad players.

Blendi Belančić is an 18 year old right winger, Croatian, who has a bit of potential.

In the last post I talked about trying to cash in on my Cameroonians and I have managed to move one of them on. After a few bids Georges Mbah has gone to divisional rivals Karpaty for a cool £1.3m. It's clear debt and allowed us to bring in some good options. Ngah is still available but I am not forcing him out. The other departures were merely squad players.

[KibworthBull]

August 2026

Just the one game this month.

After some very good pre-season friendly results - in 1 we played the strongest possible side, against a side leagues below us. I think you can guess which one..

But onto the league.

Kolos put 11 men behind the ball and we failed to break it down. A clean sheet and we are off and running.

[KibworthBull]

September 2026

The reason for keeping Moussa Ngah becomes clearer as he gets both goals in the win at Dnipro-1.

More Ngah magic as we beat Vorskla - an even better result with 4 of our key players away on International duty. 

Karpaty came to town - them who have Mbah amongst their ranks. They sat bottom before the game. And remained so after the game..

Ngah (and yes it's all about him) then gets an injury which puts him out of the rest of the month.

The unbeaten run is ended by Denys Barchenko scoring an own goal against Rukh.

A bit of rotation in the cup against Mauripol allowed Marjan Ristevski a chance to start for the first time and 21 minutes later he had a hattrick.

Dynamo away to end the month - not fair...

Early form suggests we are very similar to last year. Which I'll take

Just before the transfer window closed we splashed some serious cash (for us) - £350k on Cherif Gnahe, a Centre Back from ASEC Mimosas - £100k now, the rest over 6 easy payments. He improves the defence massively. He was a rumour on the Transfer Deadline Day page - never scouted him. Never needed to. The Heading needs work but everything else is fantastic for us.

[KibworthBull]

October 2026

Back to Back league defeats and then a trip to Shakhtar...

We kept them out for 4 minutes...

After a break for internationals, next up were against two sides at the wrong end of the table.

LNZ Cherkasy were rock bottom with 1 point to their name, and then Chernihiv were both put to the sword by Marjan Ristevski with a double in both.

3 Ls become 3 Ws on the spin with victory over Metalisk.

More back to back action at the end of the month with 2 games against Oleksandriia.

Firstly the league and it was a 2nd half showing to secure the W - woeful to wonderful.

Then the cup, potentially this is 25 points if we can win it, but with Shakhtar around the chances are slim. The chances are even slimmer as we simply didn't turn up.

A bookend-ed month.

[KibworthBull]

November 2026

The last month of football until March. But it's a busy one.

Picture the scene, 88th minute, 3-1 up against Kryvbas, the away fans start to head to the exit as the traffic can be bad around here.. they get to their cars and turn on the radio and find out they've drawn..

We are our own worst enemy as the cliche goes..

No such shooting ourselves in the foot at Veres, 2 early and 2 late goals secure the points. Francisco Javier FINALLY bags a goal. 13 matches since the last one.

I don't know if there is a perfect time to tear a hamstring, but Taras Halas managed to do it in the way at Lviv, he's out for 3 months but will only miss 5 games.

7 players on international duty for the home game against Zoria - 2nd v 3rd. Why we can't postpone it I don't know when we could when we had 4 call ups. We scrape a 2-2 draw in the 96th minute, Francisco Javier with a double

We then a game postponed due to the rain before a tough looking clash against Dnipro-1, one down after 3 minutes, we battled back to win very easily.

The winter break firmly in focus as we host Vorskla. And victory ensures we can enjoy the winter.

Fantastic position at this stage. If we keep this up then Europe is ON!

I've signed on for 2 more years. I firmly believe we will still be trying to get onto Shakhtar's tail at that point.