Gor Mahia will aim to retain its position at the top of the table as Kenya Premier League (KPL) matches enter round 3. The KPL Weekend matches will see Gor face Bandari at Nyayo Stadium with Kickoff scheduled at 4 pm. The match will be the last of this Saturday’s matches with two early kickoff fixtures pitting Migori Youth against Mathare United at 2 pm and Ulinzi Stars against Mara Sugar at 3 pm.
Kogalo will be aiming to maintain their perfect start to the season after winning their opening two matches with an aggregate score of 5-2. They are the league’s top scorers and will look to continue their scintillating form against unbeaten Bandari FC, who have drawn their opening two matches. Gor demonstrated their championship credentials by putting on a show in dismantling Murang’a Seal by 4 goals to 2 the last time out.
Bandari will be a complicated assignment, with their compact approach to games helping them remain unbeaten so far and keep opponents out.
Gor Mahia’s Ghanaian tactician Charles Akonnor remains optimistic that his side will be able to grind out a win following the delayed start to the Premier League season.
“They’ve shown a lot of motivation. The spirit in the team is high, and the training was good. We are very happy that at least those who are not even starting are showing good signs of wanting to play, which is good and that is what we need in every team. Sometimes you can even win matches from the bench, and that is what happened last time,” Akannor said ahead of their match-up with Bandari
Bandari FC Coach Hopeful Ahead of KPL Weekend Matches
Bandari head coach Charles Okere says the secret to getting a result against Gor Mahia is to remain patient and take chances when they come. He has encouraged his team to remain compact and protect their unbeaten status for as long as possible. Despite the challenge presented by the reigning Kenya Premier League champions, Okere believes sticking to their game plan will eventually get them a result and an early confidence boost ahead of a long season.
“We have to be brave on the ball and trust our game. Gor Mahia are a good team, but we cannot go there simply to defend. We must be ready to compete… The important thing is to stay organised, remain patient and take our chances when they come,” said Okere.
At Green Stadium in Awendo, Migori Youth will be looking to use their home support to get their first win of the season. The promoted side managed an impressive 1-1 draw with Kenya Police and will be looking to get the better of KPL regulars Mathare United. Mathare have had a difficult start to the new campaign and sit in 15th place on the table, just outside the relegation zone. They will hope to get the better of the newcomers and get their season on track
Mara Sugar are also taking on Ulinzi Stars at SportPesa Arena and will look to build on their impressive start to the season. They have managed a win and a draw and sit in second place, two points behind leaders Gor Mahia.
Sunday’s matches will see 3K FC take on Murang’a Seal at Moi Stadium in Embu. The early kickoff will be played at 2 pm before unbeaten Nairobi United take on APS Bomet at Police Sacco grounds in Nairobi. APS Bomet are early candidates for relegation after a poor start to the season that see them occupy the final of 3 relegation places.
The other afternoon matches will see Mombasa United take on Kenya Police FC at KPA Mbaraki Sports Club at 3 pm.
AFC Leopards, who have had a decent start to the season and are now in third place behind Gor Mahia and Mara Sugar, will take on Shabana FC in a blockbuster fixture set to kick off at 4:15 at Nyayo National Stadium. AFC are 2 points behind their archrivals Gor Mahia.
AFC Leopards coach Fred Ambani wants his players to show character and lay down an early marker for their championship credentials. He is upbeat about getting the team over the line in this year’s championships but has called for unity and togetherness as the season enters the demanding festive period fixtures.
“We were only about 30 per cent efficient in our previous performance. We have to stop complicating things in dangerous areas. When we lose the ball while playing short passes in our own half, we expose ourselves. Every match deserves respect. If we want to challenge for the title, we cannot afford to keep dropping points. We did not come here just to participate. We want to build a team that can challenge for the biggest honours,” said Ambani.
The start of the KPL season looked set to be thrown into jeopardy after Mombasa United filed a case challenging their exclusion from the league. Matches were eventually greenlit to continue after KPL allowed a playoff between Mombasa United and Kariobangi Sharks. The former were awarded a walkover after chaos erupted at Dandora Stadium, where match officials were assaulted during the match.
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