Buoyant Ulinzi Stars gunning for another victory over fancied Kenya Police in Afande Derby

©Kenya Police

FKFPL Buoyant Ulinzi Stars gunning for another victory over fancied Kenya Police in Afande Derby

Festus Chuma 06:30 - 26.05.2023

After countless draws between the two sides the Soldiers squeezed a victory over Police in their last meeting.

Five-time Kenyan champions Ulinzi Stars renew rivalries with a star-studded Kenya Police as FKF Premier League (FKFPL) resumes at the Nyayo National Stadium on Friday afternoon with a handful of fixtures left before curtains come down to the 2022/2023 season.

The Soldiers have gone two league matches without a win after they were beaten 3-0 by Bidco United on May 15, 2023.

Ulinzi Stars are placed eighth on the league standings with four matches remaining to the end of the season.

A win against Kenya Police will go a long way to easing the players' nerves as coach Bernrad Mwalala admits they must fight for a strong league finish.

"Let us try and see if we will finish as high as possible, even if a fifth-place finish would go a long way in helping achieve that," he said.

Boniface Muchiri, who has scored five league goals this term, remains one of Ulinzi Stars' key players, and his remarkable ability from set-pieces makes him a threat to Kenya Police.

Kenya Police are going into the match following a 1-0 win over Mathare United on May 14. The Law Enforcers have claimed 31 points from 11 away matches in the 2022/2023 campaign.

Francis Baraza's charges occupy the fourth spot on the league standings, twelve points ahead of the Ulinzi Stars.

The gaffer praised the team for an outstanding effort in their previous match against Mathare United, adding that they will go for maximum points in the remaining games.

"The hope is there, the league is not decided by one match alone," he said. "Anything can still happen in the run in between now and the end of the season," he added.

"I will keep fighting to the very end. I am not looking at other teams but just looking at my team. I am focusing on my matches and not the other teams' fortunes.

"We will focus on trying to win all our remaining matches and then see where the points accumulated will take us at the end of the season."

The clash is expected to be a free-flowing encounter, but Baraza will perhaps continue to give himself a 'plan B' due to the Police deep depth in the squad.

In head-to-head stats, Ulinzi Stars and Kenya Police have met in three previous top-flight league matches.

All the past three encounters have ended in draws making for a fascinating meeting.