No respite for KPL teams
Six Kenyan Premier League matches will be on the cards this weekend with the highlight fixture feature AFC Leopards and Ulinzi Stars at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru on Saturday.
Ingwe posted a 1-0 win over Nairobi City Stars last weekend and followed it up with a 3-1 victory over Top Fry All Stars on Wednesday, but in Ulinzi they will face a much stronger opposition.
The soldiers succumbed to a 2-1 loss away from home in their midweek encounter against Tusker.
Leopards coach Zdravko Logarusic says his team is yet to attain optimum performance level and that he anticipates a tough contest against his ‘good friend’ Robert Matano.
“Most of the players have still not attained match fitness, in fact I think we are operating at 40%. Ulinzi are a very strong team who have a very able coach so it will not be an easy match. I am only a coach and not a magician so I hope the boys will fight for the three points,” Logarusic told Nairobi News.
At the Nyayo National Stadium, Tusker will be up against a frail Nairobi City Stars. The brewers recorded their first win of the season on Wednesday after sweeping aside Ulinzi Stars 2-1 at their Ruaraka home ground.
FITNESS LEVELS
“The result is okay because getting three points is the whole point of the game, but the players’ fitness levels are not satisfactory. I understand that they have been on a long break so I expect that we shall gather momentum in subsequent matches,” Tusker coach Francis Kimanzi said after the midweek clash.
He will however have to do without defender Aboud Omar who picked up a knock during their previous match, while his defensive counterpart Luke Ochieng still sidelined with a niggling ankle sprain.
Saturday’s other matches will see Nakuru All Stars welcome Western Stima at Afraha Stadium, as Thika United take on Muhoroni Youth.
On Sunday, the inconsistent Kenya Commercial Bank will face Chemelil Sugar in the first double header at Nyayo, while Sony Sugar will entertain Ushuru in Awendo.
The sugar millers drop two points in a midweek encounter against Muhoroni Youth, and Coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno is be out to collect all three points at home.
“The last two matches have been like a quality test for us and now we really need to start winning matches if we are to realize our ambition this season. The boys know that and while I do not underestimate my opponents, I feel confident that we will win the match,” Otieno said.
Saturday: Nakuru All Stars v Western Stima (Afraha-1:45pm), Thika United v Muhoroni Youth (Thika-3pm), Ulinzi Stars v AFC Leopards (Afraha-4:45pm)
Sunday: KCB v Chemelil Sugar (Nyayo – 2pm), Sony Sugar v Ushuru (Awendo-3pm), City Stars v Tusker (Nyayo-4:15pm)