SportPesa Cup 2019: Who Will Be The Deadliest Striker Of All?

DAR-ES-SALAAM, Tanzania- After all the verbal jabs among eight teams converged in Dar-es-Salaam for the 2019 SportPesa Cup football festival, the moment of truth is here as the race for USD30,000 and the chance to host Everton FC kicks off on Tuesday in the commercial capital of Tanzania.

The third edition of the invitational tournament featuring four teams apiece from Tanzania and Kenya promises to be bigger than ever before with seven sides seeking to depose two time winners Gor Mahia FC from the SP Cup throne.

National pride and bragging rights are at stake between the two countries that established a long-standing rivalry in the mid 1920s.

Set for the imposing 60,000-seater National Main Stadium, all eyes will be on Simba SC, Yanga SC, Singida United FC and first timers Mbao FC from Tanzania when they lock horns with their visitors who also include AFC Leopards SC, Kariobangi Sharks FC and Bandari FC who will mark their debut.

In any football match, the bulging of the net when a goal goes in is the epitome of celebration and here we look at three strikers who could ignite the goal rush at SP Cup 2019.

Meddie Kagere-Simba SC

A terrace favourite among the Gor Mahia FC Green Army, the seasoned Rwanda forward took to the SP Cup like fish to the water, scoring a staggering seven goals in six games where he ended up firing his team to glory in the 2017 and 18 editions held in Dar and Nakuru.

Kagere can truly be labelled Mr. SportPesa Cup.

His imposing performance during last year’s final at the Afraha Stadium in the lakeside Kenyan town on June 10 bamboozled Simba 2-0 with the Ugandan-born forward taking only six minutes to rattle the Simba net.

He then set up countryman Jacques Tuyisenge for the second after 55 and it did not take long after the tournament for Kagere to almost spark a riot when he ditched Gor for Simba in a lucrative deal said to earn him approximately USD4500 a month.

His former side accusing him of betrayal having given him the glowing title of Luanda Magere- after the mythical Luo warrior of immense power- but to Simba faithful, his capture was a statement of ambition as they seek to wrest the title from the two-time holders.

“The beauty of the SportPesa Cup is winning the tournament opens a lot of opportunities for young players to get a chance to play abroad when you play Everton or for the experienced ones like myself, a better move,” Kagere said ahead of the third edition.

Now known as MK14 among the red-shirted Simba faithful, Kagere scored twice on SP Cup debut to sink Jang’ombe Boys FC in the 2017 quarterfinals.

He opened the scoring in Gor’s 2-0 semi final victory over Nakuru All Stars FC to finish the tournament as the Golden Boot winner.

Kagere netted the third in a 3-0 romp over Jeshi La Kujenga Uchumi in the 2018 quarters before another double in the semi finals against Singida gave his team a 2-0 victory to set up the final against his future employers Simba.

Dennis Oliech- Gor Mahia FC

Kenya record international striker caused a stir when he came from a two-year hiatus to sign for Gor last month in a development that shook up the SportPesa Premier League.

“My intention is to score 25 to 30 goals and become a top scorer,” he declared and the man known by his legion of fans as Kajole took only his second game at Gor to open his account in a 2-1 victory over Posta Rangers FC.

Another goal and assist in Gor’s last SPL fixture where they hammered Mt. Kenya United FC 4-1 last week underlined he has not lost the lethal touch that made him a household name in Qatar and France as well as national Kenyan football team, Harambee Stars where he has notched 34 goals in 72 games.

Tanzania fans will never forget Oliech’s debut at the 2002 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup where he came off the bench to inspire a 3-2 victory for Kenya with a goal simply out of PlayStation where he raced past the whole defence to beat the keeper.

Eric Kapaito- Kariobangi Sharks FC

“We have come here to win this Cup. I have also come to do what I do best and with my teammates giving me good service, it is my wish to fire Sharks to the Super Cup so that I get a chance to show what we can do against Everton.”

Rivals will not say they were not warned should Kapaito, who has just returned from injury, gets into his groove, having plundered 16 goals to win the Golden Boot and more importantly, the 2018 SPL Most Valuable Player.

His performances saw him earn his first Harambee Stars caps of his career and boosted by the return of his equally potent teammates, captain Eric Juma and Sven Yidah, Sharks and Kapaito who open their campaign against Yanga could quake Dar.

Gor Mahia FC striker, Dennis Oliech. PHOTO/SPN