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Gor Mahia and Kenya Police were among the teams that failed to convince while Posta Rangers and KCB showed their class, but who will save Shabana?
Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) witnessed some interesting results at the weekend as Gor Mahia failed to beat Bidco United while leaders Posta Rangers profited by returning to winning ways.
AFC Leopards finally got their first win but Shabana ended the weekend without a coach. Pulse Sports highlights the winners and losers from match week eight in Kenya’s top flight.
Winner: Posta Rangers
Posta Rangers recovered from their 3-1 defeat to FC Talanta in the seventh round to beat Bandari 2-0 and consolidate their first position on the table with 19 points from eight matches.
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17:30 - 28.10.2023
FKFPL Tusker FC ease pressure on Matano with win over Sofapaka, Posta Rangers show Bandari who is boss as Kenya Police stutter
Tusker FC coach Robert Matano breathed a sigh of relief as his side ended their three-match winless run, Posta Rangers got back to winning ways as Kenya Police were held by FC Talanta.
The Mailmen showed that the loss to Talanta was a blip with a first-half blitz that saw Bandari cast aside after 40 minutes and they were helped greatly by Gor Mahia’s inability to beat Bidco United.
Having come into the weekend with a one-point lead, they ended it with a three-point buffer, which will give them some breathing space and they can hope to continue on Wednesday when they face Kakamega Homeboyz.
Loser: Gor Mahia
Gor Mahia were frustrated to a barren draw by Bidco United which put to an end their two-game winning run. Bidco locked all the outlets for K’Ogalo who could not find a way past them to pick up a precious point and Gor coach Johnathan McKinstry acknowledged how difficult it was, saying it was a ‘fair result.’
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09:39 - 29.10.2023
FKFPL Gor Mahia coach McKinstry explains why draw against Bidco was a 'fair result'
Gor Mahia huffed and puffed but could not find a way to break down Bidco’s mean defence but their coach expressed his satisfaction with the outcome
While they are still unbeaten, Gor are yet to really convince as they have not been free-flowing so far this season. Four draws from the first eight matches is hardly what their fans expected and the champions must beat troubled Shabana in midweek to silence some of their doubters.
Gor are second on the log with 16 points but they should be looking over their shoulders as KCB and Murang’a Seal are just a point and two behind respectively.
Winner: KCB
The Bankers were among the two teams that scored four at the weekend when they thrashed Nairobi City Stars 4-1 on Sunday.
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16:00 - 29.10.2023
FKFPL KCB put Nairobi City Stars to the sword to extend unbeaten run to seven games
KCB brushed aside a hapless Nairobi City Stars to move to third on the log and put pressure on leaders Posta Rangers and second-placed Gor Mahia
Bernard Mwalala’s men extended their unbeaten run to seven games with their excellent display and are now just four points behind leaders Posta Rangers and one behind champions Gor Mahia.
Mwalala was brought in to try and win the title after his predecessor Zedekiah Otieno failed to achieve it and the early signs do not look bad.
Whether they can sustain the good run only time will tell but with Gor not convincing, Tusker and Kenya Police struggling in mid-table, they could perhaps take advantage.
15:33 - 28.10.2023
FKFPL Mwalala names KCB player who can remedy Harambee Stars 'big problem' in striking department
Mwalala has described the forward as a unique striker Kenya is “lucky to have” and has tipped him to earn a call-up soon.
Sofapaka are their next opponent in midweek and many expect them to win before their biggest test at the weekend when they face table toppers Posta Rangers.
Loser: Kenya Police
A 1-1 draw with FC Talanta is hardly what Kenya Police coach Zdravko Logarusic would have wished for having come into the match on the back of an unlikely 1-0 loss to Sofapaka.
The Croatian tactician had started life back in Kenya with back-to-back wins but now finds himself in a difficult position as Police are looking down rather than up, sitting in 11th place on the table with 10 points, nine behind Posta.
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17:29 - 21.10.2023
FOOTBALL Sofapaka disarm Kenya Police to secure first win of the season
Sofapaka finally won their first match of the season following a narrow 1-0 victory against Kenya Police at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos
Police were termed among title favourites following their huge spending in the off-season but their expensively-assembled squad is yet to set the league a light, leaving more questions than answers even if it is still early in the season.
Winner: Tusker
Tusker FC head coach Robert Matano eased some pressure when his side ended a string of three matches without a win, including back-to-back defeats, with a 1-0 victory over his former side Sofapaka.
Bottom-placed Sofapaka were the easy opponents for Tusker to cast aside but the fact that they could only squeeze a 1-0 win means Matano still has plenty of work to do.
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13:30 - 27.10.2023
FOOTBALL Tusker FC’s struggles: Why Robert Matano’s Brewers have lost their taste
Tusker FC have won just two of their seven games so far, leaving Robert Matano hanging onto his job but there are a number of factors that have played against them
The win left them still in midtable in eighth position with 11 points and they will have to beat Ulinzi Stars to move up.
Loser: Shabana
Shabana’s hopes of winning their second match of the season were quickly extinguished on Sunday when they were hammered 4-0 by Ulinzi Stars.
Tore Bobe had no answers to Ulinzi’s firepower and succumbed to their biggest loss of the weekend which saw coach Sammy Okoth quit.
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19:00 - 29.10.2023
FOOTBALL Shabana coach throws in the towel after ‘worst defeat of his coaching career’
Shabana coach Sammy Okoth has called it quits after watching his side get hammered 4-0 by Ulinzi Stars on Sunday
Shabana have struggled to get a foothold in the top flight following their promotion and Okoth felt he had done everything within his powers to succeed.
Defeat to Ulinzi left them 16th on the table with seven points and it gets worse as they face Gor Mahia in midweek and without a coach.
Loser: Nzoia Sugar
Nzoia Sugar welcomed AFC Leopards with hopes of capitalising on their rivals’ poor run to collect a much-needed win but they ended up on the losing end.
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07:54 - 29.10.2023
FOOTBALL ‘No points to pick here’ - Nzoia Sugar coach fires warning to AFC Leopards
Nzoia Sugar coach Godfrey Oduor has backed his side to collect all three points against AFC Leopards despite their recent struggles which has seen them fail to win four straight games
It was the fifth straight loss for Nzoia who are now in a relegation battle having been among the title challengers last season.
The fact that they could not muster a win against below-par Ingwe shows the depths they have fallen and are now second from bottom on the table with five points.
Winner: AFC Leopards
Brian Yakhama’s 34th minute penalty was enough to hand AFC Leopards their first win of the season after seven failed attempts.
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20:00 - 29.10.2023
FOOTBALL AFC Leopards finally win first match of the season after edging fellow strugglers Nzoia Sugar
AFC Leopards had Brian Yakhama’s penalty to thank as it eased them to a 1-0 victory over Nzoia Sugar to end their winless start to the campaign
Ingwe headed to the weekend’s clash with Nzoia as the only team yet to taste victory but put in a resolute defensive display to protect their lead after Cliffton Miheso had won the penalty.
Still it was not a convincing win which means new head coach Tomas Trucha has plenty of work to do but the three points will do their confidence a world of good.
Leopards need to find a way to start scoring from open play as two of their four goals have come from the penalty spot.
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08:34 - 26.10.2023
FOOTBALL Ticketing still clubs' Achilles heel but a leaf is to be borrowed from AFC Leopards
AFC Leopards' adoption of e-ticketing boosts revenues, addresses corruption, and enhances fan convenience, setting an example for other FKFPL football clubs.
The unpredictable Kariobangi Sharks are up next for Ingwe in midweek and given their displays this season, it is hard to know which Leopards will turn up on Wednesday.
Follow Pulse Sports WhatsApp Channel for more news.
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