NSL: APS Bomet on the brink of promotion
Khamis Aboud of Coastal Heroes battles for the ball with Duke Muhoro of APS Bomet during their National Super League match at Mbaraki Sports Club on July 6, 2022.
What you need to know:
- At the bottom end of the table, Dandora Love, Zoo Kericho and Gusii United have already relegated and will be featuring in the FKF Division One next season.
- Dandora Love and Zoo Kericho exited the league after issuing three walkovers.
Leaders Administration Police Service (APS) Bomet will Wednesday seal promotion to the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) on Wednesday if they beat Mara Sugar in a National Super League (NSL) clash at Bomet IAAF Stadium.
With only three rounds of games remaining, five matches have been lined up for Wednesday with another three fixtures scheduled for Thursday as the season nears its conclusion.
Other profile matches will see promotion-chasing Fortune Sacco (60 points), Muhoroni Youth (56 points) and Muli Children Family (MCF) who have bagged 51 points, but with a game in hand, clash with Migori Youth, Naivas and Coastal Heroes respectively.
On Thursday, Shabana will be out to revive their minimal chances of making it to the topflight league when they host Kisumu All Stars at William Ole Ntimama Stadium in Narok.
APS Bomet leads the log on 65 points from 33 matches and needs just three points to be assured of a second-place finish and four points to bag the NSL title.
NSL champions and runners up are automatically promoted to FKF-PL, while the team which finishes third will play Wazito in the promotion play offs before the new season kicks off. Wazito finished 17th in the 2021/22 FKF-PL season/
A win for APS Bomet will see them hit 68 points and only Fortune Sacco can leapfrog them if they lose the remaining two matches and the Murang’a based side triumph in all its three fixtures.
Third-placed Murang’a Seal (58 points), who will be away at the Coast to face Mombasa Elite, can only manage 67 points and can’t match APS Bomet if the law enforcers beat Mara Sugar and lose the remaining two games.
“We shall be very happy to qualify for the KPL on our home soil. This is a big match for us because if we win and make it to the topflight league, then it will ease pressure on my players in the two remaining games,” APS Bomet coach Charles Odera told Nation Sport.
APS Bomet beat Mara Sugar 2-1 in the first leg and will be banking on their top striker Dennis Cheruyot who has so bagged 10 goals this season.
For Fortune Sacco, Murang’a Seal and Muhoroni Youth, the fight for promotion is so intense that neither of them can afford to drop points at this stage.
“This is the stage where we have to give our all because every minute and chance counts in each game,” said Muhoroni Youth striker Dickson Raila, who has seven goals to his account.
However, Shabana (53 points) and MCF still have chances of gaining promotion in case the top teams slip up in their remaining matches.
At the bottom end of the table, Dandora Love, Zoo Kericho and Gusii United have already relegated and will be featuring in the FKF Division One next season.
Dandora Love and Zoo Kericho exited the league after issuing three walkovers.
Fixtures (All matches kicks off at 3pm)
Wednesday
Migori Youth v Fortune Sacco (Migori)
Naivas v Muhoroni Youth (Camp Toyoyo)
Gusii United v Assad (Kericho Green)
MCF v Coast Stima (Thika Sub County)
APS Bomet v Mara Sugar (Bomet IAAF)
Thursday
Mombasa Elite v Murang’a Seal (Mbaraki)
Vihiga United v Kibera Black Stars (Mumias Complex)
Shabana v Kisumu All Stars (William Ole Ntimama)
