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Reunions, rivalries to serve up interesting match-ups in FKF League
Tusker FC’s Charles Momanyi (right) vies for the ball with Shabana’s Keith Imbali in their FKF Premier League match played on October 7 at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
Round Seven of the 2025/26 Football Kenya Federation (FKF) League season seems planned for renewal of hostilities and reunions, features of this weekend’s league schedule that prompt billing of today’s matches as ‘Super Sunday’.
There will be six matches on the cards, four of them in Nairobi. Still, Nairobi-based teams will be involved in the two matches – Kakamega Homeboyz vs Tusker and Murang’a Seal vs KCB – taking place outside the capital.
The match between league leaders Kakamega Homeboyz (13 points) and Tusker will be one of the day’s two early kick-offs, taking place at the Bukhungu Stadium at 2 pm. The other one will be the Bidco United vs APS Bomet match, which will be played at Kasarani Annex at 2 pm.
Kakamega Homeboyz vs Tusker have had an intense rivalry going back to 2019 when they tussled over the ownership of David Majak, the South Sudanese striker whom Kakamega-based side accused of having double-signed for them and the brewers.
Collecting two points
This was followed by the two clubs fighting for 2021/22 league title, which the brewers won on the last day before that season was later annulled by Nick Mwendwa’s FKF on grounds that it was played under the FKF Caretaker and Transition Committees appointed by former Sports CS Amina Mohammed.
Later, Kakamega Homeboyz got their revenge over the Aleman by defeating them in the 2023 FKF Cup final and also eliminating them again from the 2024 FKF Cup.
Tusker, who started the season by collecting two points in their first four matches before notching two consecutive victories, have the upper hand in this fixture.
They have won 14 of the last 23 meetings between the two clubs, with Kakamega Homeboyz claiming six victories. Three matches, including their two league fixtures last season, ended in a draw.
Hostilities will be renewed at the Nyayo National Stadium where AFC Leopards will host Mathare United in a 4pm kick-off for the latest instalment of a rivalry that has simmered with drama for 25 years.
While Ingwe have hit a purple patch after winning two consecutive matches, victories that followed them after starting the season with three draws, Mathare United are struggling for consistency.
The Slum Boys lost 2-0 to Gor Mahia in their last match and face an uphill task to return to winning ways as they lost five of their last six matches against AFC Leopards, including both league fixtures last season with a 7-1 aggregate score.
High-flying Gor Mahia
Like Mathare United, Ulinzi Stars will also be looking for a return to winning ways when they meet high-flying Gor Mahia at the Kasarani Main Stadium at 4 pm, renewing a rivalry that has defined Kenyan top-flight football in the last 15 years.
The Soldiers, who sacked Dunstan Nyaudo on Monday before installing their midfielder Stephen Ocholla as their interim coach on Tuesday, have lost their last three league matches. Their winless run stretches five matches since beating Murang’a Seal in their first match of the season.
After losing 2-1 to Bidco United on Wednesday, Ocholla expressed hope that his team would turn a corner soon. “We created chances and showed character today. We have to work on converting our chances so that we can pull ourselves up,” Ocholla said.
On their part, Gor Mahia have emerged as “second-half experts” under their Ghanaian coach Charles Akonnor. K’Ogalo have been winning matches in the second half. They scored all their goals in the second half during their victories over Mathare United (2-0), Posta Rangers (3-0), and KCB (1-0). In total, seven of their eight goals this season have come in the second half.
“The result shows that we are a tactical team. Before the match, we had a feeling that our substitutes would make the difference for us, and we made a lot of effort to prepare the players on the bench mentally,” Akonnor said when his team defeated Posta Rangers last weekend.
Gor Mahia’s second-half form should give Ulinzi Stars a lot to worry about – five of the seven goals conceded by the Soldiers this season have come in the second half.
As several teams will renew hostilities on Sunday, there will be reunions for Posta Rangers coach Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omollo and KCB trainer John Njogu. Omollo, a former Kenya Police FC coach, will be returning to the Police Sacco Stadium to meet the law enforcers in the 3 pm kick-off.
Njogu, now a trainer at KCB, will be on the opposite dugout as the bankers take on Murang’a Seal at 3 pm at the SportPesa Arena in Murang’a.
Njogu, also the MCA of Kiambu County’s Gitothua Ward, was at Murang’a Seal until March 30 this year when he stepped down following a run of poor results.
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