Ulinzi chide Gor after Brewers lift them to Confed Cup

Ulinzi chide Gor after Brewers lift them to Confed Cup

Ulinzi Stars could not resist taking a thinly veiled dig at dethroned champions Gor Mahia after Tusker FC were crowned the 2016 Kenya Premier League (KPL) champions on Sunday with a match to spare.

By clinching the title Tusker secured a place to represent the country at the 2017 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League that also confirmed Ulinzi as the qualifiers for the second tier CAF Confederations Cup.

The Soldiers clinched a continental berth by finishing second to Tusker in the GOTv Shield Cup with Football Kenya Federation confirming their entry on Monday.

“Congratulations Tusker FC for winning the 2016 Kenyan Premier League title. Yours sincerely, CAF bound mates. *Wink*” A sneaky post the Twitter handle of Ulinzi, ‏@UlinziStarsFC, read as they chided Gor for not retaining their title for a fourth season in a row that would have seen them not qualify for African football.

Ulinzi’s caretaker coach Benjamin Nyangweso believes his team’s performances this season have merited their place in continental football next season.

“They didn’t do us any favours. It just happened and as much as we’re happy it turned out like it did we have always played to win. We have to complete the task ahead of us and that is finishing the league on high before we can start preparing for the tournament.

“We’re not in a position we would have loved to be at this time of the season so we have to fight and win the last match,” Nyangweso told Citizen Digital.

The rivalry between Ulinzi and Gor escalated in 2010 when they denied K’Ogalo the league title despite winning the last nine games in a row including a 2-0 triumph over the Soldiers in the run in.

During the inaugural KPL Top 8 knock-out tournament the following season, the semi final clash between the two turned violent before aborting with enraged Gor supporters stoning the bus belonging to Ulinzi parked within the perimeter of Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.

The Green Army were enraged when they claimed their side that was trailing to a Mike Baraza strike in the first half had been denied the chance to equalise from the spot.

Besides pelting the bus with stones, Ulinzi players lost their valuables before officials awarded the game to the Soldiers who went on to beat Western Stima 2-1 in the final to pocket Ksh1m with Gor slapped with a hefty bill when the club was surcharged for the damage to the bus and lost items.

They would meet again in the KPL Top 8 final in 2012 where Gor controversially scored twice in extra time to force the penalties after a 2-2 draw with K’Ogalo coming on top in the shoot-out.

This year Gor and Bandari FC represented the country in the Champions League and Confed Cups with both crashing out in the preliminary round to Mozambique’s Ferroviário Maputo and St. Eloi Lupopo of Democratic Republic of Congo.

Nyangweso was full of praise for current KPL top scorer, John Makwatta saying he has the ability to fire them to the latter stages of the 14th edition of Africa’s secondary club football competition.

“He’s a special player and it’s worth noting that he’s now hit double figures for two seasons in a row. If he finishes top scorer it will be a very good motivation for him and also for the team because of the contributions his goals have brought,” the tactician hailed.

Congolese giants TP Mazembe were on Sunday crowned continental champions for the seventh time after an emphatic 4-1 over Algerian side Mouloudia Olympique de Bejaia 4-1 to book a Super Cup meeting with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in February.

They will play South Africa’s Champion League winners Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Super Cup.

Tags:

tusker fc. GOR MAHIA CAF Champions League Benjamin Nyangweso Ulinzi Stars Kenyan Premier League football CAF Confederation Cup John Makwatta

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