Nairobi News

SportsWhat's Hot

Chemelil, Sofapaka face off as KPL action resumes

July 7th, 2015 2 min read

Chemelil Sugar and Sofapaka lock horns at the Afraha Stadium on Tuesday afternoon in a blockbuster tie as action resumes in the Kenyan Premier League.

On Wednesday, it will be action galore with other eight matches lined up across various venues.

On song Gor Mahia will be at home at the Nairobi City Stadium to entertain Tim Bryttes’ Thika United, while a new look AFC Leopards will be at the Nyayo National Stadium, aiming to put their eerily dark first leg behind when they play host to Kenya Commercial Bank.

Tusker, after heightened activity in the mid-transfer season, will be out to flex their muscles when they collide with a battle hardened Ulinzi Stars at Ruaraka.

Much is expected of the Brewers after adding to their ranks seven new players in the just concluded transfer window.

NEW RECRUITS

Coach Francis Kimanzi made good use of the transfer window, raiding Ingwe to snatch utility men in Martin Musalia, Abdalla Juma, Emmanuel Ngama and Noah Wafula.

Others are Ronald Musana (KCB), Eugine Asike (Sofapaka) and Alagie Nyabally (Real Banjul, Gambia).

The new recruits are expected to bolster the squad and help them launch a late charge for the title.

Another interesting battle will shape out on Wednesday at the Afraha Stadium, where basement sides Nakuru All Stars and Nairobi City Stars will cross swords.

For the two, the second leg presents an opportunity to win as many matches as possible to evade the chop even as top seeds Gor, Sofapaka and Tusker aim for the gong.

Then at the mid table, there is a cluster of teams that will be scrambling for the usual top eight finish.
These include Mathare United, Bandari, Thika and Muhoroni Youth, which, alongside All Stars, signed the highest number of players at 11.

The talents should not just make up the numbers, but show in essence why these clubs went for their signatures.

Cresten Mwanzo (Muhoroni Youth), Mohammed Mwachiponi (Bandari), Titus Wamalwa (AFC Leopards), Joshua Oyoo (KCB), Nelson Dranny (Border Lions), Jairus Adira (Sony Sugar), Joseph Kariuki (Kakamega Homeboyz), Geoffrey Nyakeri (Oserian) will be out to make their debut in a Chemelil shirt Tuesday afternoon when the Mike Mururi coached side tackle Sofapaka.

UNDER PRESSURE

The youthful Mururi is also under intense pressure. After being voted the Kenyan Premier League coach of the year last term, things have gone awry for him in the first leg and he faces a herculean task of conjuring some magic to stop Sofapaka.

His blunt strike force has only scored 12 goals in 16 matches while conceding 19 and this is a trend he will want to avoid.

The Batoto Ba Mungu, too have problems of their own. To date, they owe the playing unit hefty salary arrears.

Add that to the fact that club President Ely Kalekwa failed to lure any marquee name in the transfer market opting for those a bit over the hill, like former Gor Mahia and Thika United striker Ezekiel Odera, the you understand where they are.

Fixtures: Tuesday

Chemelil Sugar v Sofapaka, Afraha

Wednesday

Nakuru All Stars v City Stars (2pm, Afraha), Muhoroni Youth v Sony Sugar( Muhoroni), Western Stima v Mathare United( Kisumu) ,Bandari v Ushuru( Mombasa),AFC Leopards v KCB, (Nyayo) Gor Mahia v Thika United,( 4pm, City Stadium), Ulinzi Stars v Tusker, (4.15pm, Afraha)

Kick off 3pm unless stated