The new signings are in. The preseason work is done. The red shirt is ready. We have debated the goalkeeper, wondered how the new defence will look, imagined Luis Ingavi leading the line and asked ourselves the same question over and over again:

Are we ready?

Then, just as the 2026/27 FKF Premier League was supposed to begin, everything stopped.

The opening round has been put on hold amid the ongoing legal dispute over promotion and relegation rules, meaning our planned meeting with Posta Rangers will not go ahead as scheduled. The league had been set to open this weekend, with Posta Rangers and Shabana among the fixtures listed for the opening round.

And honestly, as Shabana supporters, we were ready.

So while we wait for the football authorities and the courts to sort out the situation, let's do something more interesting.

Let's pick our Shabana Nation XI.

NEW SEASON. NEW SQUAD. SAME GLAMOUR BOYS.

That is the feeling around Shabana right now.

This is not the same squad that finished last season.

We have seen departures. We have seen new faces arrive. We have a new coach in Ahmed Fathi. We have seen the club talk openly about building a leaner and more competitive squad, with the ambition of challenging rather than simply surviving.

And that makes this season different.

It also makes picking the starting XI difficult.

Which, actually, is a good problem to have.

SHABANA NATION XI

Formation: 4-2-3-1

GK: Pavelh Ndzila

This is probably the biggest question of them all.

Stephen Ochieng is gone after his outstanding season, and replacing him was never going to be simple. Shabana have brought in Pavelh Ndzila and Lazarazu Bixinte, giving Ahmed Fathi two new options between the posts.

For our opening XI, we are going with Ndzila.

Not because Bixinte cannot start.

Because this is Shabana Nation's pick.

And whoever gets the gloves, the message from us should be simple:

No pressure .... Just be our goalkeeper.

RB: Herbert Sunday

One of the interesting things about Herbert Sunday is his versatility.

He gives us the kind of player who can provide more than just defensive cover, and that could become extremely valuable over a long season.

Against a team like Posta Rangers, we would want our full-backs brave enough to push forward but disciplined enough not to leave the centre-backs exposed.

CB: Daniel Bichiok Dang

This one feels obvious.

Former Nairobi United captain.

Centre-back.

Leadership experience.

And a player brought in during a summer when Shabana were deliberately trying to rebuild the squad.

Bichiok is not simply another new signing. He is one of the players we will expect to help give this new Shabana side some personality and authority at the back.

CB: George Dizzo

Yes, we know.

He's a goalkeeper.

And that's exactly why this is not our final defensive XI.

Instead, if we are choosing strictly from the confirmed positional information available, we would rather keep Bixinte competing for the goalkeeper position than force him somewhere he doesn't belong. His Shabana profile lists him as a goalkeeper.

So let's correct the XI properly.

LB: Dennis Wanjala

Now that looks like a proper Shabana defence.

Dennis Wanjala is particularly interesting. The former Tusker left-back was one of the club's important defensive additions this summer.

And George Dizzo gives us the leadership we want alongside Bichiok.

MIDFIELD

DM: Kevin Omundi

Kevin Omundi gives us energy and balance.

We don't need every midfielder trying to be the hero.

Someone has to do the dirty work.

Someone has to protect the defence.

Someone has to win second balls and allow our more creative players to express themselves.

That's where Omundi comes in.

CM: Derrick Oketch Oloo

This is where we want composure.

Derrick Oketch Oloo has been part of the Shabana midfield group and gives us another player capable of helping connect the defensive and attacking phases.

With a new coach and a new-look squad, that balance will matter enormously.

CAM: Brian Michira

Now we are talking.

Number 10.

Brian Michira.

There is something about Michira that makes supporters sit forward.

He can create. He can carry the ball. He can find spaces. And he already understands what it means to play for Shabana.

His Shabana profile describes him as a creative attacking midfielder, while his previous campaign showed how important he can be to the team.

If this season is about a new Shabana identity, Michira could be one of the players who connects the old Shabana with the new one.

LW: Sigmunn Maina Irungu

This is one of the players we are most curious to watch.

He arrives from AIK Framtid FK in Sweden as an attacking midfielder, with the expectation that he can add creativity and attacking quality in the final third.

We don't need to put the whole burden on him.

But give him freedom.

Let him run.

Let him combine.

Let him show us what brought him to Shabana.

RW: Cliff Nyakeya

Experience.

Energy.

A player who understands the league.

And importantly, someone who doesn't need the entire game to revolve around him before he can contribute.

We want Nyakeya attacking the space and giving Posta Rangers something to worry about.

ST: LUIS INGAV

Luis Ingavi.

The boy who came home.

The former Kenya U20 striker returned from the United States to join Shabana, bringing with him a fascinating football journey that included Montverde Academy, college football and the USL League Two environment.

And he has already told us what he wants.

I want to score more than 10 goals and help the team get as many wins as possible

That is the kind of ambition we want.

Ingavi has also spoken about the Shabana supporters, saying the passion of the fans and the club's community played a major role in attracting him to the Glamour Boys.

So to Luis, when the football finally starts...

you know what we are expecting.

OUR SHABANA NATION XI

Pavelh Ndzila

Herbert Sunday — Daniel Bichiok Dang — George Dizzo — Dennis Wanjala

Kevin Omundi — Derrick Oketch Oloo

Cliff Nyakeya — Brian Michira — Sigmunn Maina Irungu

Luis Ingavi

The bench we'd want to see:

Lazarazu Bixinte
Edwin Jumba Wanyonyi
Justine Omwando
Samuel Maiko
Bronson Nsubugo
Bryon Otieno
Austin Odongo

And before someone starts shouting at the screen:

Yes, this is our fan XI.

It is not Ahmed Fathi's confirmed lineup.

That's the beauty of being supporters.

We pick the team before the coach does.

BUT HERE IS THE BIGGER QUESTION

The postponement actually gives Ahmed Fathi something very important.

More time.

Shabana have already been through a significant squad overhaul. The club has brought in several new players and changed the technical structure, while the team also had to adjust its preseason plans after abandoning the Tanzania trip and returning to Nakuru for preparations.

So perhaps this unwanted delay can become useful.

Because when we finally play our first competitive match, we don't just want eleven players who know each other's names.

We want a team.

A recognisable Shabana.

A side that knows when to attack.

When to slow the game down.

How to defend a lead.

And most importantly, a team that understands that wearing that red shirt comes with expectations.

THE FIRST FOUR GAMES WILL TELL US A LOT

Whenever the league finally gets moving, the opening stretch is going to be fascinating.

Our planned opening fixture was Posta Rangers away.

Then comes Nairobi United at home, followed by AFC Leopards away, before Migori Youth at home. Current fixture listings show that sequence for Shabana.

It is not an easy introduction.

And that's exactly why we need to start properly.

Posta Rangers

A first test of the new Shabana.

Can we defend?

Can the new players handle competitive pressure?

Can Ingavi lead the attack?

Can the new goalkeeper settle immediately?

Nairobi United

Then comes the reunion.

Nairobi United are particularly interesting because former Shabana captain Daniel Bichiok is now wearing our colours.

That's the kind of match where emotion can easily take over.

We need the football to do the talking.

AFC Leopards

Now that's the serious examination.

Away from home.

Big opponent.

Big occasion.

This is where we find out whether the talk about building a competitive Shabana side is real.

Migori Youth

Then comes the opportunity.

At home.

A match where three points should be the objective.

That is where a new Shabana side needs to start showing consistency.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE THIS SEASON

For us, this season isn't about demanding that we win every single match.

But we should demand identity.

We should know what Shabana are trying to do.

We should see intensity.

We should see players fighting for the shirt.

We should see young players given opportunities.

We should see our experienced players taking responsibility.

And when things go wrong, we shouldn't collapse.

Ahmed Fathi has already spoken about wanting Shabana to play modern football, with discipline described as non-negotiable.

Good.

Because that is exactly what we want to see.

IS THIS OUR SEASON

The courtrooms can decide when the league begins. Apparently next month.

The coaches can decide the starting XI.

But nobody can decide what this season means to us.

We have watched Gusii Stadium undergo its transformation.

We have followed the club to Nakuru.

And now we are waiting for that first whistle.

So perhaps the postponement is frustrating.

But it doesn't change the feeling.

This season, we are watching a new Shabana being built.

And hopefully, by the end of it all, something worth remembering.