Leopards on the prowl, Gor seek redemption

Eight matches are lined up for this weekend’s SportPesa Premier League, four on Saturday and the rest on Sunday before the competition breaks to pave way for national team, Harambee Stars’ AFCON qualifier against Guinea Bissau.

Champions and record 15-times winners, Gor Mahia will be seeking their three points in five outings against basement side City Stars headed by their former coach and player John ‘Bobby’ Ogolla at Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium starting at 2pm local time (+3GMT).

The duel will be an acid test for Frank Ouna who will be leading K’Ogalo from the dugout after the unceremonious exit of immediate former head coach, Frank Nuttall to Egyptian giants Zamalek.

“In football, you cannot talk much about a person you have worked with, every game has a new approach and in spite of the respect we have for Bobby, when the whistle goes we will be ready for his team.

“There are only three points at stake so there is nothing special, we have prepared for the whole week and we are ready, ‘’ Ouna who believes his concentration in sharpening the team’s blunt striking force this week will pay dividends this weekend.

K’Ogalo will miss the services of injured Abouba Sibomana in the defence, with every other member of the squad that featured against AFC Leopards in last week’s Mashsemeji Derby defeat available to redeem themselves after the team lost its 35-game unbeaten streak.

City Stars are also under pressure to bag their maiden win this season too, having drawn two and lost two although Ogolla maintain they go to the game as underdogs giving him them the advantage since the heat will be on their illustrious opponents.

While Gor’s title defence is going pear-shaped, their archrivals AFC Leopards are enjoying a revival under their new head coach, Ivan Minnaert who has mastermind two wins out of two thus far.

On Sunday, they face the unpredictable Chemelil Sugar at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium after the earlier announced switch to Safaricom Stadium, Kasarani was reversed by organisers.

Former Ingwe player and coach, Nicholas Muyoti acknowledges Chemelil who have a better record of two wins, three draws and a loss in the last five meetings are a bogey team capable of deflating the high of beating Gor last week by skinning them for the first time this season.

Alfred Wekesa is out with a hamstring injury while Andrew Tololwa faces a late fitness test, as the only concerns for AFC Muyoti reported adding they want to utilize their chances better than they have done in the previous matches.

Chemelil have had a slow start this season only managing a win once but head coach Francis Baraza hopes to give his opponents a run for their money by drawing inspiration from their past record.

Hosts Kakamega Homeboyz are seven places down on the log from their visitors Posta Rangers ahead of their Saturday’s fixture, that pits two sides promoted this season to the top tier league.

Rangers are the favorites having avoided defeat so far, and hope to continue making a statement they are here to stay.

Their top scorer, Timothy Otieno, should provide the edge required to beat Homeboyz, partnering with Moses Otieno and Georson Likonoh who have scored one each.

Coach Peter Okidi of Homeboyz led his charges to force a barren draw against Mathare United last week, after losing to Chemelil Sugar by 1-0 a fortnight ago and hopes to keep on improving, even against Zedekiah Otieno’s in-form boys this Saturday at Mumias Complex in a 3pm kick-off.

In another earlier start, Ulinzi Stars will seek to continue their unbeaten streak against Western Stima at Afraha with the military side’s head coach, Robert Matano, crying foul that his strikers are underperforming.

The ‘Lion’ as he is known has been boosted with the return of new signing Mark Bikwokwa from injury. He adds to Matano’s goal poachers list of John Mark Makwatta and Oscar Wamalwa against Stima.

His opposite number, Henry Omino accepts the possibility of their four-game clean sheet record could be breached but maintains his side will be hard nuts to crack.

If the soldiers win, they will temporarily go top before Leopards duel on Sunday against Chemelil.  Stima settled for a 1-1 draw at home at the Moi Kisumu Stadium last weekend and currently sit eighth on the log with five points from a win and two draws.

Winless Sony Sugar will take on Muhoroni Youth at home in Awendo, who want to bounce back after losing to Tusker 2-1 at home last weekend.

Elsewhere on Sunday, title-chasing Tusker are at home to Ushuru FC in Machakos while winless Thika United welcome 2008 champions, Mathare United who are buoyed by the naming of their boss, Francis Kimanzi as the first ever recipient of the Fidelity Insurance Coach of the Month Award.

The second of the enticing Machakos double header will see struggling Sofapaka take on another team tipped to challenge for honours, Bandari FC with the docker’s boss, Twahir Muhidin, saying his boys are ready having worked out on their striking faults.

The Dockers have gained a big shot in the arm with the return of the fiery Meshack Karani, who Muhiddin has confirmed to Citizen will feature in Sunday’s fixture.

“ We won’t take Sofapaka lightly, we cannot focus on their performance in the past matches so much but will take this as a different encounter,’’ the head coach added.

David Ouma’ s side have lost three in a row after opening the season with a thumping win in a club that was hit by a massive exodus at the end of last season and need to chalk victory to avoid being cut adrift so early into the season.

Eight matches are lined up for this weekend’s SportPesa Premier League, four on Saturday and the rest on Sunday before the competition breaks to pave way for national team, Harambee Stars’ AFCON qualifier against Guinea Bissau.

Champions and record 15-time winners, Gor Mahia will be seeking their three points in five outings against basement side City Stars headed by their former coach and player John ‘Bobby’ Ogolla at Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium starting at 2pm local time (+3GMT).

The duel will be an acid test for Frank Ouna who will be leading K’Ogalo from the dugout after the unceremonious exit of immediate former head coach, Frank Nuttall to Egyptian giants Zamalek.

“In football, you cannot talk much about a person you have worked with, every game has a new approach and in spite of the respect we have for Bobby, when the whistle goes we will be ready for his team.

“There are only three points at stake so there is nothing special, we have prepared for the whole week and we are ready, ‘’ Ouna who believes his concentration in sharpening the team’s blunt striking force this week will pay dividends this weekend.

K’Ogalo will miss the services of injured Abouba Sibomana in the defence, with every other member of the squad that featured against AFC Leopards in last week’s Mashsemeji Derby defeat available to redeem themselves after the team lost its 35-game unbeaten streak.

City Stars are also under pressure to bag their maiden win this season too, having drawn two and lost two although Ogolla maintain they go to the game as underdogs giving him them the advantage since the heat will be on their illustrious opponents.

While Gor’s title defence is going pear-shaped, their archrivals AFC Leopards are enjoying a revival under their new head coach, Ivan Minnaert who has mastermind two wins out of two thus far.

On Sunday, they face the unpredictable Chemelil Sugar at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium after the earlier announced switch to Safaricom Stadium, Kasarani was reversed by organisers.

Former Ingwe player and coach, Nicholas Muyoti acknowledges Chemelil who have a better record of two wins, three draws and a loss in the last five meetings are a bogey team capable of deflating the high of beating Gor last week by skinning them for the first time this season.

Alfred Wekesa is out with a hamstring injury while Andrew Tololwa faces a late fitness test, as the only concerns for AFC Muyoti reported adding they want to utilize their chances better than they have done in the previous matches.

Chemelil have had a slow start this season only managing a win once but head coach Francis Baraza hopes to give his opponents a run for their money by drawing inspiration from their past record.

Hosts Kakamega Homeboyz are seven places down on the log from their visitors Posta Rangers ahead of their Saturday’s fixture, that pits two sides promoted this season to the top tier league.

Rangers are the favorites having avoided defeat so far, and hope to continue making a statement they are here to stay.

Their top scorer, Timothy Otieno, should provide the edge required to beat Homeboyz, partnering with Moses Otieno and Georson Likonoh who have scored one each.

Coach Peter Okidi of Homeboyz led his charges to force a barren draw against Mathare United last week, after losing to Chemelil Sugar by 1-0 a fortnight ago and hopes to keep on improving, even against Zedekiah Otieno’s in-form boys this Saturday at Mumias Complex in a 3pm kick-off.

In another earlier start, Ulinzi Stars will seek to continue their unbeaten streak against Western Stima at Afraha with the military side’s head coach, Robert Matano, crying foul that his strikers are underperforming.

The ‘Lion’ as he is known has been boosted with the return of new signing Mark Bikwokwa from injury. He adds to Matano’s goal poachers list of John Mark Makwatta and Oscar Wamalwa against Stima.

His opposite number, Henry Omino accepts the possibility of their four-game clean sheet record could be breached but maintains his side will be hard nuts to crack.

If the soldiers win, they will temporarily go top before Leopards duel on Sunday against Chemelil.  Stima settled for a 1-1 draw at home at the Moi Kisumu Stadium last weekend and currently sit eighth on the log with five points from a win and two draws.

Winless Sony Sugar will take on Muhoroni Youth at home in Awendo, who want to bounce back after losing to Tusker 2-1 at home last weekend.

Elsewhere on Sunday, title-chasing Tusker are at home to Ushuru FC in Machakos while winless Thika United welcome 2008 champions, Mathare United who are buoyed by the naming of their boss, Francis Kimanzi as the first ever recipient of the Fidelity Insurance Coach of the Month Award.

The second of the enticing Machakos double header will see struggling Sofapaka take on another team tipped to challenge for honours, Bandari FC with the docker’s boss, Twahir Muhidin, saying his boys are ready having worked out on their striking faults.

The Dockers have gained a big shot in the arm with the return of the fiery Meshack Karani, who Muhiddin has confirmed to Citizen will feature in Sunday’s fixture.

“ We won’t take Sofapaka lightly, we cannot focus on their performance in the past matches so much but will take this as a different encounter,’’ the head coach added.

David Ouma’ s side have lost three in a row after opening the season with a thumping win in a club that was hit by a massive exodus at the end of last season and need to chalk victory to avoid being cut adrift so early into the season.

Report by Jacob Icia and Paul Kimani