KHU League returns to home-and-away format
Blazers forward Maureen Okumu (left) celebrates after scoring a goal with teammates Caroline Guchu (2nd left) and Flavian Amutivah and Terry Masibo during their Kenya Hockey Union Women's Premier League match against Wolverines on May 6, 2023 at City Park Stadium.
What you need to know:
- MSC’s experienced player Jane Ofula echoed similar sentiments, dismissing claims that her team’s third-place finish last season was a fluke.
- “We will be out to prove to our opponents who thought the one-legged format worked in our favor. We have picked valuable lessons from the Clubs Championship that will come in handy this season. Our goal is to win the league and return to the Club Championship next year,” she stated.
The 2025 Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) League season, set to begin on March 1, will revert to the two-legged format, a move widely welcomed by players and officials who believe it will enhance competition.
Last season’s campaign, played in a one-legged format, saw Western Jaguars (men) and Blazers (women) clinch the Premier League titles.
However, concerns were raised over the limited number of matches, which some felt contributed to Kenya’s underwhelming performance at the African Clubs Championship that ended in Egypt last week.
Western Jaguars team manager Peter Okova believes the return to a home-and-away format will benefit teams.
“Reverting to the two-legged format is the best thing the union has done. Last season, we played fewer matches, and I believe that contributed to our dismal performance at the African Clubs Championship. We only played nine matches,” said Okova.
He also emphasised the need for improved playing surfaces, particularly at City Park Hockey Stadium.
“We can’t play on murram and expect to be competitive at the international stage. Sikh Union performed well despite finishing fourth in their debut at the championship, thanks to where they train. If we don’t fix our playing turfs, our standards will continue to decline,” he added, while thanking the government for supporting teams at the recent continental event in Egypt.
At the African Clubs Championship, Jaguars finished seventh, representing Kenya alongside Sikh Union Club and United States International University of Africa (USIU-A) in the men's category.
The women’s representatives were Mombasa Sports Club (MSC), who finished fourth, and USIU-A. The competition saw Sharkia of Egypt and Ghana Revenue Authority retain the men’s and women’s titles, respectively.
Butali Sugar Warriors team manager Kamal Sembi acknowledged that while the two-legged format is costlier, it ensures fairer competition.
“The one-legged format felt like a knockout tournament where one win put a team closer to the title. It didn’t allow teams to recover from setbacks. With the two-legged format, teams will play more matches, keeping players in shape and maintaining their competitive edge. Last season, a team could play one match and wait a month for the next, which affected form,” said Sembi.
MSC’s experienced player Jane Ofula echoed similar sentiments, dismissing claims that her team’s third-place finish last season was a fluke.
“We will be out to prove to our opponents who thought the one-legged format worked in our favor. We have picked valuable lessons from the Clubs Championship that will come in handy this season. Our goal is to win the league and return to the Club Championship next year,” she stated.
Blazers and national team forward Maureen Okumu also welcomed the change, highlighting the benefits of increased match play.
“More matches mean more growth for the sport,” she said.
Meanwhile, Blazers have strengthened their squad ahead of the new season with the signings of national team players Aurellia Opondo and Pauline Ochieng. Opondo, a forward, joins from Lakers, while midfielder Ochieng arrives from Dutch Flower Group Wolverines.