Tick Tock Goes The SPL Clock! Who Will Be Crowned Champions?

NAIROBI, Kenya- As the 2018/19 season of the SportPesa Premier League (SPL) enters its final lap with less than 10 games to be played, all eyes switch focus to the top of the competitive domestic top flight.

A number of teams came into the season with the aim of breaking the monotony that has seen record league winners Gor Mahia FC clinch the title for the past two seasons.

Ironically, with the way the standings are set up now, it seems as though the now Hassan Oktay coached side look on course to retain the title and make it three victories in a row.

Gor are at the top of the table with 49 points, one point ahead of second place Sofapaka FC though the latter have played three more games than the league leaders.

Last season’s runners-up Bandari FC sit in third (45) with a game in hand, whilst Kakamega Homeboyz FC (41) and Mathare United FC (39) follow suit in fourth and fifth respectively.

Veteran coach Robert ‘The Lion’ Matano’s Tusker FC and Sony Sugar FC (35) are level on points behind the top five which means that they are not completely out of the running.

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SportPesa News has a look at the five teams with the highest probability of weathering the storm that comes with the pressure of the last games of the season, in the hope to be crowned SPL champions.

GOR MAHIA FC

Gor have been crowned Kenyan league champions a record 17th time, most recently being the title they won with five games to spare last season under the tutelage of Briton Dylan Kerr.

This season, Gor have had to deal with lots of off-field issues that they have unfortunately become accustomed to, stemming from unpaid dues, player strikes and a frenetic fixture schedule.

Despite all the above, they still remain top and on course for an unprecedented 18th league crown.

A fantastic display on the continental front saw K’Ogalo become the first East African club to qualify for the quarters of the CAF Confederations Cup, where they fell to Moroccan side RS Berkane.

This is partly the reason they have played three games less in the SPL but surprisingly enough, even having played an inferior number of matches they remain in command of the league.

This week alone, Gor have already played three games in five days.

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A match against bottom side Mt. Kenya United FC on Thursday and a grudge match away to Tusker on Saturday still await the champions.

Gor have not lost in the league since a shock 1-0 loss to newcomers Kenya Commercial Bank FC on January 27 and with only the title in their focus, if they continue their impressive run of performances there is no doubt that they can retain the title.

BANDARI FC

The dockers kicked off the season with flying colors and held on to top spot for weeks on end but a recent slump in performance leaves them currently in third place, four points off the top.

The dismal run saw Bernard Mwalala’s charges fail to win in five matches, consequently losing their grip at the summit.

However, Al-Bandr as they are commonly referred to as in their coastal hometown, seem to have corrected their mistakes and have rediscovered their goal-scoring form.

An unfortunate 1-0 loss to Gor yesterday halted their four-match winning streak but with nine games left for them to play there is still so much to fight for if they are to better their best-ever finish from last season.

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Last season’s Golden Glove winner Farouk Shikhalo has maintained his safe hands and midfield sensation Abdallah Hassan are key to a strong finish for Bandari.

Congolese forward Yema Mwama is back among the goals as well and his team will need his full concentration in this final leg as they aim for a maiden SPL title.

A fixture against AFC Leopards SC is up next for Bandari and huge tests against 2010 winners Ulinzi Stars FC, Tusker and Mathare are still on the cards so an insurmountable level of concentration is key.

SOFAPAKA FC

Batoto Ba Mungu remain the only team to win the league title the same season after being promoted but it remains the only success they have ever tasted.

During the 2018/19 season however, they have displayed an eagerness and capability to fight with the big boys and remain one of the strongest contenders.

They are currently on an 11-match unbeaten streak, the longest in the current campaign but have to be exceptional to maintain the run as matches against the rest in the top six await the 2009 champions.

An advantage that Sofapaka holds over their competitors is a coach who knows all too well what winning the league title is all about and what it takes to achieve the feat.

John Baraza, four-time KPL Golden Boot winner, has brought the best from his young squad and his top marksman Umaru Kasumba seems to be following his footsteps with 12 goals this season, three behind the top scorer.

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They remain Gor’s closest challengers, one point away despite holding a three-game advantage.

Sofapaka have proved to have the ability to pounce on any slip-ups and Gor will need to be wary and put in a shift to halt their rivals from clinching their second league title after a 10-year hiatus.

KAKAMEGA HOMEBOYZ FC

Homeboyz are the dark horses in the running for league glory and have done exceptionally well to rise above the struggles they faced during the first half of the season.

Ugandan tactician Paul Nkata was sacked in January over alleged match fixing scandals, leaving seasoned forward and Kenyan International Allan Wanga in temporary charge.

Since Nkata’s departure, Homeboyz have only lost twice by a similar 1-0 score-line to Kariobangi Sharks FC and Gor as they continued their steady rise to their current fourth-place spot.

Former Thika United FC coach, Nicholas Muyoti has since taken charge of the Western-based club and an eight-match unbeaten streak has enabled them amass 41 points.

From all the teams in contention for the title, Homeboyz have the most lenient run of fixtures with only one match against Sofapaka looking like a tricky fixture.

In addition, current SPL top scorer Wanga, who has scored 15 goals is in fine form and his teammates and the fans only need him to maintain his unmatched goal-scoring form if they are to keep alive their hopes of winning a maiden title.

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MATHARE UNITED FC

The 2008 champions have been on a rollercoaster ever since they last tasted success and this season was no different.

The entire football fraternity is used to the slum boys beginning the season with enthusiasm and an unparalleled hunger for success, before falling off and finishing mid table.

The Francis Kimanzi side have lost four of their last eight matches, making them lose their grip and fall into fifth place.

Though a long shot for the slum boys, statistically it remains possible for them to win the SPL title.

What makes it hardest for them is not solely based on their recent form but the remaining fixtures for Mathare are the toughest from the lot.

Apart from Homeboyz, all top six teams remain on their fixture list which includes a cracker against Gor in the last game of the season.