Golden Boot Scramble, Battle To Avoid Play-Off Spices Up 2018/19 SPL Finale

NAIROBI, Kenya- The title race is done and dusted with Gor Mahia FC reigning supreme once more but the tight scramble for the Golden Boot and the battle to avoid the play-off lottery will spice up the final round of the enthralling 2018/19 SportPesa Premier League (SPL) season on Wednesday.

Abridged so as to align the Kenyan top flight with the international calendar, all 18 top flight teams had little turn around following the conclusion of the 2017/18 campaign last November but that did little to dampen the excitement as Gor romped to their third straight and record-extending 18th crown with three games to spare.

Mt. Kenya United FC and surprisingly, Vihiga United FC could not take the heat in the SPL kitchen and will play National Super League (NSL) second-tier football next season.

Only a point separates 14th-placed Posta Rangers FC (32) and 16th-placed Zoo Kericho FC in the battle to avoid the tricky lottery of a play-off to determine their top flight status.

Chemelil Sugar FC (31) who are above Zoo on goal difference, complete the trio of teams hoping to avoid the play-off banana skin.

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Attention will be focused on whether seasoned striker and Kenya international, Allan Wanga can finish as the SPL goal scoring king when he captains his side, Kakamega Homeboyz FC to their tricky visit to Sofapaka FC whose attack is led by the man hot on his heels in the Golden Boot pursuit, Umaru Kasumba. 

Ahead of final day fixtures, the stats read 18 against 17 in favour of the Homeboyz striker who has rejuvenated his career at the Kakamega-based side, earning a recall to the national team that is preparing for the 2019 AFCON campaign in Egypt next month.

Wanga, 33, last topped the domestic league charts in 2007 when he plundered 20 to lead Tusker FC to the title and after a stint playing overseas and Tanzania, returned to his home nation first with AFC Leopards SC before eventually joining Homeboyz where he was the player-coach briefly this season.

It should be noted since Wanga, no striker in the has notched 20 or more league goals in a single campaign with a hat-trick or better against Batoto ba Mungu placing him on the pedestal of SPL history.

His team's visit to Sofapaka at Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos is a potential straight shootout for the SPL Golden Boot worth KSh500,000 to the winner.

Should that duo fail to add to their tally, Enosh Ochieng' of Ulinzi Stars who is also on 17 is ready to pounce and run away with the honours.

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Ochieng' revelation

The joint-second top scorer has been quite a revelation, with his skills in front of goal for the 2010 champions who are lying ninth on the table with 42, earning him calls to be included in the preliminary 2019 AFCON team although his efforts did not spark a title challenge for the soldiers who have flickered on and off this season. 

Mathare United FC's Cliff Nyakeya and Sony Sugar FC's Dennis Otanga who are tied in third on 13 apiece need to run cricket scores on the final day to eclipse the trio of Wanga, Kasumba and Ochieng' in the final tally for the 2018/19 SPL top scorer.

Elsewhere, team that finishes Wednesday in 16th will take on the third best side in the NSL in a two-legged encounter where the winner will punch the final ticket to feature in the 2019/20 SPL roster with Thika United FC and Mt. Kenya FC beating Ushuru FC in successive seasons to clinch the berth. 

Surviving the axe via the play-off however, did not save Thika and Mt. Kenya from the relegation axe in the subsequent campaigns with the 16th finisher set to face either of Kisumu All Stars FC or Nairobi Stima FC who are locked on 71 points apiece in the second division with a game to play in second and third in the next SPL/NSL play-off.

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At the summit of the concluding SPL season, Gor were handed their trophy last Saturday following their 1-1 draw with Rangers having sealed the crown with a similar result against Vihiga on the Monday with Bandari FC repeating their runner-up position regardless of their result away to Nzoia Sugar FC at Sudi Stadium.

Head coach Hassan Oktay and his champions entertain big rivals Mathare aiming at closing their latest title success by hitting the 74 points mark in an encounter where the 2008 winners who led the standings for the opening six weeks of the campaign out to put a dampener to proceedings by outclassing the champions.

Anything less than a win for the fifth-place slum boys in Machakos could see them finish outside the top five, as another hunt for a second league title derailed yet again despite a storming start for head coach Francis Kimanzi and his slum boys.

Having come close to but no cigar for the Dockers, Bernard Mwalala can be proud for the consistency his side has shown since he took charge of the Mombasa-based side in a season that could still bring them a second piece of silverware when they take on holders Kariobangi Sharks FC in the final of the 2018/19 SportPesa Shield on Madaraka Day (June 1) at the MISC Kasarani.

Dangerous homeboyz

After a period of turmoil, former glamour team Sofapaka FC (59) and their former star striker, John Baraza are still in the race to finish a respectable third when they host the dangerous sixth-placed outfit, Homeboyz FC (52).

However,  it will take a huge defeat and a four goal swing to deny them bronze against the side below them, Sony (56) who have had a remarkable campaign of their own.

A win for Nicholas Muyoti’s charges could see them finish in fifth place, the best-ever by the Western-based outfit, having taken over from 2016 title-winning Tusker boss, Paul Nkata who parted way with Homeboyz in a haze of scandal.

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Sony have been impressive this season and go into the final game of the season- a sugar millers derby against Chemelil- on a nine-match unbeaten streak, as they aim to finish among the top three teams in the land if results in Machakos do them a huge favour.

Chemelil on the the other hand have not won in nine, their last victory dating back to April 24, a 2-1 triumph over Kenya Commercial Bank FC (44) and another bad home result could drag the side who have enjoyed over a decade and a half in the fight to save their status via the play-off.

Sharks (42) who are preparing to defend their Shield crown before facing Everton FC in a landmark friendly at Kasarani on July 7 close their campaign against Vihiga hoping to leapfrog the soldiers who are only above them on goal difference.

For Ochieng' the prospect of facing doomed Mt. Kenya on final day will motivate him to gun for the Golden boot on a day where all fixtures will kick off at 2pm local time (+3GMT). 

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SPL MATCH DAY 34 FIXTURES (All games kick off at 2pm)

Western Stima FC vs AFC Leopards – Moi Stadium

Nzoia Sugar FC vs Bandari FC – Sudi Stadium

Gor Mahia FC vs Mathare United FC – Kenyatta Stadium

Sofapaka FC vs Kakamega Homeboyz FC – Mbaraki Stadium

Ulinzi Stars FC vs Mt. Kenya United FC – Afraha Stadium

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Tusker FC vs Posta Rangers FC – Ruaraka Stadium

Chemelil Sugar FC vs Sony Sugar FC – Chemelil Complex

Kariobangi Sharks FC vs Vihiga United FC – Kasarani Stadium

KCB FC vs Zoo FC – Mumias Complex