Wazito ends Stima’s odyssey in the FKF-PL

Western Stima have been relegated from the FKF Premier League, following their 1-0 loss to Wazito FC at the ASK Grounds on Wednesday, in Nakuru.

Going into the penultimate round of the Kenyan Premier League as the lowest ranked team on the table, Stima needed to beat Wazito to keep to take their tally to 25 points, having collected only 22 from 30 outings.

There would have been a reprieve for them still had Vihiga United and Mathare United lost their Wednesday fixtures, but they edged Kakamega Homeboyz and Ulinzi Stars 1-3 and 1-0 respectively.

Thus, Stima remain 17th while Vihiga are 16th with 26, while Mathare have 27 points at 15 on the log. Although Vihiga have finished their matches this season, Stima cannot mathematically catch up with them hence the axe.

The Abdalla Juma coached-side has been dangling in the relegation zone for the better part of the season, enduring a difficult period financially since their sponsors Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPL) pulled out midway last season.

Club chairman Laban Jobita in a previous interview revealed to Citizen Digital how he was single-handedly funding the team from his business and salary proceeds, with the situation worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic.

His hope was that Stima would escape the axe, as he worked frantically to secure sponsorship and ease next season’s burden.

“I sometimes stay with the players at my house. It has not been easy to bring sponsors on board especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, as everyone says they are not making profits. I however have players who want to play for themselves, and they fully understand the situation. When I have money we share, when it is time to wait they do,” then said Jobita.

Along the way, Stima were also hit with an alleged match fixing scandal, which Jobita himself reported.

The impact was big as he had to part ways with 14 players said to have been part of the scheme, while he had no means of roping in quality replacements.

However, Jobita said “not all” of the 14 players released in February, in the aftermath of the debacle, had a hand in the reported match manipulation.

Stima have been in the Premier League since 2018, having returned into the topflight then after topping the National Super League (NSL) during the year’s campaign.

In this fateful season, they have conceded 53 goals in the 17 losses registered, managing only 10 draws and four wins.

They will however conclude the season against Mathare on Sunday, who will be keen to win and avoid the relegation/promotion playoff against third best team in the NSL.