Four key moments that won Tusker the FKF-PL title

Tusker Sunday clinched their 13th Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) title following their 2-0 win over Posta Rangers at Ruaraka Grounds in Nairobi on the final day of the season.

They are now second to Gor Mahia who have 19 titles. However, their 13th triumph did not come easy as they were crowned champions thanks to their four-goal advantage over Kakamega Homeboyz, whom they tied with at the top of the table on 63 points.

Here are four moments that swung the title race Tusker's way.

1. Twenty-one-game unbeaten run

Tusker’s poor start of the season cast serious doubts on their title credentials.

In their opening 15 matches of the season, the brewers picked maximum points in seven, shared spoils in two and lost in six.

Many thus wrote them off in the season where they had invested heavily by roping in several top talents. But under the tutelage of veteran tactician Robert Matano, Tusker turned tables in their favour in the second leg when their signings finally came good.

They started their resurgence on January 20 when they thumped Vihiga Bullets 2-0 at home.

The Brewers did not lose a single match in their next 20 contests, winning 12 and drawing eight. Big guns Ulinzi Stars, Bandari, Sofapaka, Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards and Kakamega Homeboyz were all put to the sword as the champions found form.

2. Kakamega Homeboyz’s slump

It is hard to fathom that at one point of the season, Tusker trailed leaders Homeboyz by 18 points.

As of April 2, Kakamega Homeboyz were champions in waiting as they had opened an 11-point gap at the helm of the 18-team league.

But coach Bernard Mwalala’s men blew away that huge advantage when in eight successive matches, they bagged maximum points only in one.

The 2009 champions Sofapaka were the first side to dent Homeboyz title hopes by holding them to a 1-1 draw in back-to-back lches.eague mat

Struggling Kenya Police and Wazito followed suit with a 2-2 and 1-1 draw respectively, before Tusker thumped the Mwalala’s men 2-0 in their next match.

While they bounced back to victory with a 2-1 win over KCB, their slump continued when Gor Mahia held them to a 1-1 draw. Homeboyz woes in the race for a maiden FKF-PL title continued when AFC Leopards thumped them 2-0 at Bukhungu Stadium, giving Tusker the advantage to take control of the competition until on the final day.

3. Top-of-the-table win against Homeboyz

On May 8,  leaders Kakemga Homeboyz took on Tusker with a four-point lead. The 2-0 for the Ruaraka-based side swung the title race in their favour as it reduced the point gap between the two teams to just a point.

Had Abana ba Ingoo won the game or got atleast a draw, the final outcome might have been different. 

4. Walkovers complicate matters for Homeboyz

With the 2021/22 FKF-PL season entering homestretch with Tusker and Kakamega Homeboyz joint top on 57 points, it was clear that the winner of the contest could be decided on goal difference.

Then Tusker were ranked ahead of Homeboyz courtesy of a four goal advantage. To realise their dream of a maiden FKF-PL title, Homeboyz thus needed to score as many goals as possible in their two remaining matches against FC Talanta and Kariobangi Sharks.

Also, they were to avoid conceding more goals and hope that Tusker falters in their matches against Bidco United and Posta Rangers.

But Talanta and Sharks failed to honour their matches against Homeboyz. This saw the Kakamega-based side awarded a walkover of a 2-0 win in every match.

It complicated their plans of holding off Tusker in the titanic tussle of the FKF-PL title. Tusker registered an identical 2-0 win over Bidco and Posta to maintain their four-goal advantage over Homeboyz and retain the title.