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NSL: APS Bomet close in on title, 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, there is no relegation battle as Dandora Love, Zoo FC and Gusii United will feature in the FKF Division One next season.
- Dandora Love and Zoo exited the league after issuing three walkovers.
With just three rounds of matches to the end of the season, Administration Police Bomet are just four points shy of winning the National Super League (NSL) and sealing promotion to next season's Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL).
Despite playing out to a barren draw against SS Assad over the weekend, the uniformed officers are on 65 points, five clear of second placed Fortune Sacco after 33 rounds of matches.
Coach Charles Odera's charges just need a win and a draw from their remaining fixtures against Mara Sugar, Muhoroni Youth and Murang'a Seal to win the second tier league.
Mathematically, they only need three points to secure automatic promotion by finishing second, assuming teams behind them win all their remaining matches.
Fortune Sacco (60 points), Murang’a Seal (58), Muhoroni Youth (56) and Shabana (53) have all played 33 matches, and are also angling for promotion, as well as Muli Children Family (MCF), who have 51 points from 32 matches.
The NSL champions and runners up gain automatic promotion to FKF-PL, while the team which finishes third will play Wazito in the promotion play offs. Wazito finished 16th in the concluded FKF-PL season.
"We are determined to win all our remaining matches so as yo seal our promotion to KPL. This is football and you don't relax until you meet your target," said Odera.
The remaining three matches pit the top teams against one another in what promises to be a bruising battle with promotion slots at stake.
Fortune Sacco face a resurgent Migori Youth, MCF and Gussi United in its quest to gain promotion to FKF-PL after narrowly missing out by finishing fourth last season.
Muhoroni Youth still have Naivas, APS Bomet and Shabana to contend with.
Murang'a Seal will lock horns with Mombasa Ellite, Shabana and APS Bomet, while Shabana face Kisumu All Stars, Murang'a Seal and Muhoroni in their last ties.
MCF will clash with Coastal Heroes, Fortune Sacco and Mwatate United who survived relegation by beating Shabana 3-2 last weekend.
With claims of poor officiating and match-fixing, the FKF Transition Committee will have their work cut out in ensuring fairness.
Over the weekend, the game between Coastal Heroes and Migori Youth at Mbaraki Sports Ground was aborted 23 minutes into the second half after Migori Youth players and technical bench protested after their goal was disallowed.
The goal would have levelled the scores to 2-2.
Shabana coach Sammy Okoth said his team is well prepared to fight to enter the top league and all the three matches will be like a final to them.
"There is no room for slip ups because the promotion battle is no longer in our hands. We have no choice but to win all our matches, two of which are against the sides we are chasing promotion with," said Okoth.
Shabana was relegated from the top-flight league in the 2016/17 season.
At the bottom end of the table, there is no relegation battle as Dandora Love, Zoo FC and Gusii United will feature in the FKF Division One next season.
Dandora Love and Zoo exited the league after issuing three walkovers.
