Flashback 2016: Nzoia United romp to NSL success

The tussle for the 2016 National Super League (NSL) crown was hardly the typical title race as Nzoia United romped to glory in November with four games to spare.

The champions spectacularly dominated the race, making a mockery of the chasing pack as they – more than once in their campaign – opened up points margins wider than 16 points and reducing the NSL to a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ the Bungoma-based side would be crowned champions.

While their only realistic opponents – Nakumatt FC, Zoo Kericho FC and Kariobangi Sharks – laboured to secure points and exchange the honours for second week in week out, Bernard Mwalala’s charges strolled to sweeping wins and gradually set themselves a class apart.

Perhaps the only sense of dissatisfaction for Mwalala as he prepares his charges for the top-flight next will be at the turn of November when Nakuru All Stars became the unlikeliest candidates to blight their glorious campaign.

A second half brace capped by a goal at the death from Elvis Rupia propelled the Stars to accomplishing what no other side in the 2016 NSL had done before in 32 games and over 2,880 minutes of football as they handed the runaway leaders the bitter taste of defeat.

With the feat, they brought the longest-running unbeaten streak in all six of the country’s football divisions to an end at the Afraha Stadium when Rupia struck his double, notching his first in the 71st to level the contest before snapping the hopes of Nzoia of finishing the season without a loss in the most cruel of fashions when he claimed the winner in the 90th.

But just when it was thought the defeat would pull Nzoia back to earth and, perhaps, inspire the start of an implosion, the champions recovered spectacularly and back off they went; once again engaging their top gears in their relentless march to triumph.

With the exemption of Sharks who became the only other club to claim all three points from them but whose win was marked by match-fixing claims, no other team stood in their way. The loss to Stars could have easily rallied other teams to have a go at them but more importantly was their response to losing the streak.

“We played to our best but ultimately lost the game and as is the case in every game there is always a winner and a loser. It’s disappointing but it’s also a fact that sometimes you can play very well and end up losing in the match. It only happened that luck was in their side so the chances they created they used them well,” Team Manager Yaptes Mokuah told Citizen Digital at the time.

He had shown little concern for what was an obvious disappointment and his tone had reverberated to his squad who by that time needed only two wins to guarantee the crown.

“We’re focusing on the title not the record.”

And went on they delivered just over a week later as Patrick Kwitonda struck against St. Joseph FC to help his side hit an unassailable 85 point mark that brought home their deserved accolade.

“From the word go I want to be honest that I did not expect to get such results because we had lost  so many players in the  previous transfer window. We kept questioning our own ability but on the pitch the players reminded us why were completely wrong to have doubted them,” Mokuah said in a recap of their journey back into the KPL.

The loss to Sharks on the last matchday of the 2016 NSL season – significantly their only home defeat – remains the only knock on this Nzoia team but Mokuah believes it should never be topic of discussion as he and Mwalala maintain they fielded their best for the clash.

Famosuly, Mwalala claimed the loss had been one of the best displays that he had overseen as he blatantly denied the claims.

Now, as they race to ensure the club is complaint to the Confederations of African Football (Caf) licensing requirements, Nzoia are fully aware a far mightier task awaits as they prepare for life against the KPL big boys next year.

Tags:

National Super League KPL Kariobangi Sharks football Kenyan Premier League (KPL) National Super League (NSL) Zoo Kericho FC Nzoia United Nakumatt FC

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