Battle lines drawn as Tusker, Gor brace for KPL title duel

The battle lines between Kenyan Premier League (KPL) leaders Tusker FC and champions Gor Mahia have been drawn with six games of the 2016 season left with both domestic giants ready for the epic duel on the homestretch to get to the finish line first.

Two points separate the archrivals at the summit of the log and whether by design or dramatic twist of fate, the title could be decided in a winner-takes-all clash on the final day of the campaign when K’Ogalo host the Brewers at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium on November 19.

“Our plan is to keep training hard every day and maintain the same spirit we have had in the last two games,” Gor Brazilian head coach, Jose ‘Ze Maria’ Marcelo Ferreira told Citizen Digital ahead of this weekend’s encounter against bottom side Sofapaka on Sunday.

After five successive draws that appeared to stall K’Ogalo’s charge, his team sparked to life by blanking in form Chemelil Sugar 3-1 before shooting down 2010 champions Ulinzi Stars 1-0 last weekend to crawl a seven-point deficit with Tusker (45) to two.

Ze Maria who labelled their next five KPL games ‘must win’ ahead of their final day shootout with Tusker warned his charges against getting carried away by their recent form.

“We are two points behind Tusker, we must continue playing our way and focusing at how we will get maximum points from the remaining games,” insisted the Brazilian.

Maximum points against Chemelil and Ulinzi who were lying in fourth and third when they played the champions helped ease the pressure on the former Brazilian international who was rumoured to have been sacked after their humiliating exit from the GOtv Shield Cup at the hands of National Super League frontrunners, Nzoia United in Kisumu.

“Sometimes you try to win matches but the opponents won’t let you do it in an easy way. Everyone will try and use all tactics to stop us because they know they are facing the champions. But that’s football I’m glad we are back in the title race,” the relieved ex-Selacao defender added.

In the yellow corner, Tusker FC captain, James Situma, maintains his team will not panic despite surrendering their healthy advantage with tame 1-1 draws against Western Stima and Ushuru FC that sandwiched a slim 1-0 victory over Kakamega Homeboyz in their last three.

“Since the league started we have been at the top we have been able to handle the pressure of being there from March, so with six games to go we are focusing on winning one game at a time.

“We are not looking at what Gor or any other team is doing .We are all in the race and if we focus so much on what our opponents are doing we may end up losing,” the defender who won the title with Sofapaka in 2009 stressed.

“It’s not a guarantee that our opponents will win all their matches. We know every team is different and we will try and approach the every match with a different strategy. Our aim is to get maximum points from each game,” he underlined.

-Final stretch-

Despite the stress of a keenly contested title run in, Situma noted the Brewers who last won the title in 2012 have improved this term under Paul Nkata ahead of their tricky clash against ninth placed Muhoroni Youth (33) on Friday at Nakuru’s Afraha Stadium.

“We have seen better officiating compared to last season at least the referees are trying their best very few have been below par and that’s commendable.

“A good number of clubs have a sponsors and that has helped them to buy quality players which has improved the level of competition in the league,” the skipper told Citizen Digital.

The 10-time league winners will be trying to stop K’Ogalo’s uninterrupted hold on the trophy since 2013 in their enduring duopoly with the champions since no other team has lifted the crown since Ulinzi pipped Gor to the trophy on the final day of the 2010 season.

Gor’s remaining fixtures

SUN 25-09-16       16:15      Sofapaka vs Gor Mahia       Nyayo Stadium.

WED 12-10-16          16:15  Gor Mahia vs Western Stima          Nyayo Stadium.

SUN 23-10-16           15:00  AFC Leopards vs Gor Mahia          Nyayo Stadium

SUN 30-10-16           16:15  Gor Mahia vs Mathare United         Kasarani Stadium

SAT 05-11-16            15:00  Muhoroni Youth vs Gor Mahia        Moi Stadium.

SAT 19-11-16            15:00  Gor Mahia vs Tusker            Nyayo Stadium

Tusker FC remaining fixtures

FRI 23-09-16 14:00  Tusker vs Muhoroni Youth Afraha Stadium

SAT 15-10-16            15:00  Bandari vs Tusker      Mbaraki Stadium

SAT 22-10-16            14:00  Tusker vs City Stars  Afraha Stadium

SUN 30-10-16           15:00  SonySugar vs Tusker Awendo Stadium

SAT 05-11-16            15:00  Tusker vs AFC Leopards    Afraha Stadium

SAT 19-11-16            15:00  Gor Mahia vs Tusker            Nyayo Stadium