Gor eye second consecutive win at Raila Odinga Stadium

Gor Mahia could open a five-point gap at the top of Football Kenya Federation Premier League standing with a win over Nzoia Sugar on Saturday at Raila Odinga Stadium in Homa Bay.

K'Ogalo closest challengers Posta Rangers, who dropped points against Nairobi City Stars last weekend, face 13-time champions Tusker on Sunday at Ruaraka Grounds.

Four matches are on the cards on Saturday while five others will be played on Sunday across various venues in the country.

Both AFC Leopards and Shabana, who boast of massive following, have Bidco United and Kakamega Homeboyz to contend with as they seek to redeem themselves from a poor season.

Another interesting fixture will be between newbies Murang’a Seal and Ulinzi Stars at the Sportpesa Arena in Murang’a.

Nzoia Sugar have proven a hard nut to crack for Gor in the past but it may not be the case this time round given the poor form of the sugar millers. 

Under the tutelage of coach Godfrey 'Solo' Oduor, Nzoia Sugar are second last on the league standings with nine points from 13 matches this season.

They have only recorded two wins this season, a 2-1 victory over Ulinzi Stars in their first game of the season on August 26 and 1-0 win over Kariobangi Sharks on November 5.

Last season, Nzoia then under coach Salim Babu were a force to reckon with in the league and they achieved a fifth-place finish. 

However, they have struggled this season following the departure of key players after Babu left the club to join Kenya Police as an assistant coach.

Gor, the only unbeaten team so far in the league, head into the game as favourites to get maximum points.

Apart from just being unbeaten, K'Ogalo, who are on top for the first time this season, have only conceded five goals, the least in the league.

Gor's impressive record has been fueled by the rich form of talisman Benson Omala who is currently leading the Golden Boot chase on nine goals. If Omala scores on Saturday, he will hit double digits. 

Raila Odinga Stadium is emerging as fortress for Gor Mahia given the high number of fans gracing their matches. Muhoroni Youth hosted Gor at the venue last weekend and the turnout was amazing as K'Ogalo won 2-0.

Head-to-head puts Gor and Nzoia at par in the last five matches since three have ended in draws with either side winning one game. 

"This is a big game for us and we call on our fans to come in numbers and support the team. Nzoia has traditionally been a tough opponent for us irrespective of their position on the table so we have to keep our focus and win," said Gor Mahia captain Philemon Otieno.

The memory of Posta Rangers denying Tusker the FKF-PL title last season is still fresh in the brewers' minds. Rangers held Tusker to a 1-1 draw on June 21 when the brewers badly needed a win to rival Gor for the title in the last three matches of the past campaign. 

Under the tutelage of experienced coach Robert Matano, Tusker have been struggling this season and played out to a barren draw against AFC Leopards on Monday this week.

They sit 12th on the log with 15 points from 12 matches. Tusker have a game in hand against Bidco United which was postponed due to unavailability of a venue. 

A win for Kakamega Homeboyz against Shabana will see them heap pressure on Gor Mahia at the top. Homeboyz are third with 24 points while Shabana is deep in the relegation zone with 11 points.

Saturday fixtures (All matches at 3pm unless stated) 

KCB v FC Talanta (Police Sacco, 1pm) 

Gor Mahia v Nzoia Sugar ( Raila Odinga, Homa Bay) 

Murang’a Seal v Ulinzi Stars ( SportPesa Arena, Murang’a) 

Nairobi City Stars v Bandari (Ruaraka, Nairobi 3.15pm)

Kakamega Homeboyz v Shabana (Bukhungu, Kakamega) 

Tusker v Posta Rangers (Ruaraka, Nairobi)

Bidco United v AFC Leopards (Kasarani, Nairobi)

Muhoroni Youth v Kenya Police (Muhoroni, Kisumu) 

Sofapaka v Kariobangi Sharks (Kenyatta, Machakos)