Five talking points from the FKF Premier League MD23

By Stephen Ayoo

Matchweek 23 in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League is guaranteed to end with record Kenyan champions Gor Mahia having a ten-point gap at the summit of the standings.

Here are the talking points from the weekend action.

Gor Mahia shrug off Denmark’s Cup upset

Posta Rangers are enjoying their finest season in the Kenyan topflight, and much was expected from them when they faced off against title holders Gor Mahia in Machakos.

Only 8 points separated the two sides going into this clash, so a victory for the visitors would have narrowed the lead to just five points and blown the title race wide open.

However, Benson Omalla’s goal within the first minute set the tone for what turned out to be an uncomfortable afternoon for the mailmen who had their goalkeeper, John Njau given a straight red-carded at the stroke of halftime for a dangerous challenge on Omalla.

Defender Sylvester Owino doubled the lead just before the hour mark, and player-of-the-season contender Austin Odhiambo sealed the deal with a brace during the final 10 minutes, resulting in a resounding 4-0 victory.

It was the perfect response from Jonathan McKinstry’s men to their previous Cup upset at the hands of lowly Denmak. For Posta, their slim title hopes were effectively dashed.

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Kapaito leads Tusker’s renaissance

It feels like a century ago when Tusker boss Robert Matano was a man on the cusp of losing his job.

However, he has orchestrated an impressive turnaround. A 2-1 victory at Muhoroni Youth on Sunday has propelled Tusker to second place on the log, although they still trail league leaders Gor Mahia by 10 points.

Leading Tusker’s resurgence is Eric Kapaito who netted either side of the half with Tusker holding on for the victory despite the hosts threatening a late rally after Samwel Adebowale halved the deficit with 10 minutes to full time.

Kapaito's goals here marked his 7th and 8th of the season and the third time he has scored multiple goals in a match, having previously netted twice against Bidco United and secured a hat-trick against KCB.

He sits third in the race for the Golden Boot, trailing Bandari's Francis Kahiro by one goal and Gor Mahia's Omalla by three goals.

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Wafula impresses for Nzoia in Leopards' defeat

AFC Leopards collected their seventh victory out of their last nine league matches with a 2-0 win over bottom-side Nzoia Sugar.

Leopards were made to work for the victory as a lacklustre first half ended barren. Arthur Gitego and Beja Hassan delivered the second-half goals to brush off the visitors who worked their socks off but didn’t create much to trouble Levis Opiyo in Ingwe’s goal.

The game was battled heavy in midfield with Nzoia’s Joseph Wafula catching the eye. He used his small frame to great effect collecting the ball in the half spaces and always looking for that forward pass as his team held against their own.

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However, Nzoia Sugar must focus on team cohesion rather than relying solely on individual brilliance, like that of Wafula, if they are to dig themselves out of the rut. For Ingwe, there’s a feeling in the air that they could win any match they go into right now.

Their upcoming match against Tusker on Sunday will undoubtedly be a stern test of their newfound form and resilience.

Games running thin for poor Shabana

In a league where many teams struggle to fill even a 1000-seat stadium, you'd expect those few that can to be leading the pack. After all, football is meant to be a sport for the masses, isn't it?

Victories and defeats are supposed to be shared joys and sorrows for the majority. Unfortunately, it's been mostly the latter for Shabana since their return to the top flight after a 17-year absence.

The 2-0 defeat against Bandari in Homabay only plunges Tore Bobe further into the depths of relegation, and I fear coach Sammy 'Pamzo' Omollo may not be able to salvage their season.

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Mukolwe working in silence at City Stars

Nairobi City Stars recently put together a 7-game winning streak that had many asking if that is the longest-ever such run in the Kenyan topflight. The answer remains unclear – thanks in part to a league that is run without any attention to data.

That streak came to an end against AFC Leopards who won 2-1 towards the end of January. Since then, City Stars have experienced a dip in form, managing just one victory in their last five matches, which has seen them drift away from the top of the table.

They were lucky to get away with a barren stalemate against Kariobangi Sharks this weekend, thanks massively to keeper Edwin Mukolwe who made a string of fine saves.

The former Kakamega High School shot-stopper has been in a superb form since taking over the gloves from Elvis Ochoro four games into the season. He has kept 8 clean sheets, and counting, and is one of the finest keepers in the land with the ball on his feet.

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