City Stars, Sharks battle for top spot as league action resumes

Kenya Police

Kenya Police midfielder Alvine Mageni in action on December 2, 2021 during their training session at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.


Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Defending champions Tusker and league leaders Gor Mahia will not be involved this weekend owing to their CAF Confederation Cup assignments.
  • Their league encounters against Bandari and Posta Rangers respectively have been postponed.

The Football Kenya Federation Premier League resumes this weekend after a three-week break with seven matches on the cards.

The Retired Justice Aaron Ringera-led Football Kenya Federation Caretaker Committee had paused top-flight and lower league matches on November 12 to give the committee time to regularise league activities.

Defending champions Tusker and league leaders Gor Mahia will not be involved this weekend owing to their CAF Confederation Cup assignments. Their league encounters against Bandari and Posta Rangers respectively have been postponed.

The absence of Gor Mahia has set up a tantalising six-pointer encounter as third-placed Nairobi City Stars host second-placed Kariobangi Sharks in a 1pm kickoff at the Ruaraka Grounds on Saturday.

With 14 and 13 goals respectively, Kariobangi Sharks and Nairobi City Stars are the league's highest-scoring sides and, along with Bandari and Kakamega Homeboyz, are joint-second with 13 points, one less than K'Ogalo.

Kariobangi Sharks coach William Muluya downplayed the significance of the tie in ensuring his club's rise to the league summit.

"We are not thinking much about what is at stake. We are happy the league has resumed and, we are only looking forward to a great game tomorrow," Muluya, whose side surrendered league leadership to their Saturday opponents in Round Three, said.

On the other hand, his counterpart, Nicholas Muyoti, expects a challenging match and hopes that their good preparation will help them prevail.

"Even though we have prepared well for this tie, we know it will not be an easy encounter. Kariobangi Sharks have been playing just as good as us," Muyoti, whose team ceded league leadership to Gor Mahia in Round Five, said.

Nairobi City Stars will miss striker Erick Ombija (ankle injury) and midfielder John Kamau (hand injury) while Kariobangi Sharks will be without defender Boniface Onyango (knee injury), midfielder Patrick Ngunyi (knee injury), and goalkeeper John Otieno (thumb injury).

Until exchanging 2-1 away victories last season, the two Nairobi-based clubs had never met in the top-flight before and, their clash at Ruaraka will be one of the four Saturday matches concentrated along the busy Thika Superhighway.

Their encounter will curtain raise the 3:15pm kickoff at the same ground between hosts Police FC (14th) and visitors Sofapaka (10th) who will be meeting for the first time in the top-flight.

"My team is fit and used the break to play a series of friendly matches. We are psyched up for a big win against Sofapaka," Police FC John Bobby Ogolla said bullishly.

In a 3pm kickoff at Utalii Grounds, winless Wazito (17th) will host unbeaten Ulinzi Stars (6th) who have never lost to the Nairobi-based club in the top flight.

Their six league encounters have yielded four wins for the Nakuru-based side.

"Matches against Ulinzi Stars are always tough but we are prepared to get our first win of the season in this match. The three-week break allowed us to assess ourselves and, work on weaknesses," said Wazito coach Kimanzi.

In another 3pm kickoff in Kasarani, a first-time league meeting between hosts Mathare United (13th) and visitors Talanta (10th) will see two clubs attempt to avoid stretching their winless run to three games.

In Thika, Bidco United (12th) will entertain AFC Leopards (14th) in a 3pm kickoff that will see the away side fighting to avoid losing for the fifth consecutive league match, something that has not happened since January 2019 when Ingwe lost six league matches in a row.

Outside the Nairobi Metropolitan Area, Saturday's other match will see winless Nzoia Sugar (16th) host high-flying Kakamega Homeboyz (5th) in a 3pm kickoff at Sudi Stadium.

The home side are eyeing their first win of the season as they have not beaten Homeboyz since a 3-1 success in March 2018.

Their six league encounters since have produced four wins for Homeboyz who could top the league standings if they win in Bungoma and the top-of-the-table clash at Ruaraka ends in a draw.

Sunday's only match will see seventh-placed KCB hoping to pile more misery on bottom-placed Vihiga Bullets at the Utalii Grounds in a 3pm kickoff.

The bankers are on a run of three victories while the visitors are still looking for their first win of the season.