Action in the 2024-25 FKF Premier League (FKFPL) resumes on Friday after a two-week break occasioned by the FIFA international break.
There will be two league matches on Friday but Saturday will be the busiest day with eight teams taking to the field.
Sunday, will also see two matches played following the postponement of the AFC Leopards vs Gor Mahia clash due to the unavailability of a suitable venue to host the 97th league between the competition’s oldest clubs.
FRIDAY MATCHES
KCB vs FC Talanta
On Friday, league leaders KCB, hosting FC Talanta at the Dandora Stadium in a 1-pm kick-off, will be aiming to bounce back from their 1-0 loss away to Mathare United in Round 8.
Until that defeat, KCB had been unbeaten in seven matches, winning five and drawing twice to accumulate 17 points.
FC Talanta will also be seeking a return to winning ways having gone five matches without a victory since their 1-0 triumph over Sofapaka in their first match of the season.
That wretched run, comprising three draws and two losses, has left the Jackline Juma-coached side 17th with six points, a position that sets them on yet another season of fighting to survive relegation after finishing in 15th place last season.
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Kariobangi Sharks vs Kenya Police
Friday will also see Kenya Police, 15th with six points, parade a new technical bench when they take on Kariobangi Sharks, 3rd with 13 points, at 4 pm at the Dandora Stadium.
Kenya Police, who had set lofty targets for themselves this season after finishing 3rd last season and winning the 2024 FKF Cup, sacked their head coach Salim Babu and his entire technical bench on Wednesday.
Beldine Odemba, who led Kenya Police Bullets to winning the 2023-24 FKF Women’s Premier League title, has taken over on an interim basis, making her only the second woman to take charge of FKF Premier League team after FC Talanta’s Jackline Juma.
Kariobangi Sharks, who will host the match, will be keen to thwart Kenya Police’s new manager bounce and secure their first league win in five matches.
SATURDAY MATCHES
Nairobi City Stars vs Tusker
Nairobi City Stars will look to extend their winning run to three matches when they host struggling Tusker FC on Saturday at the Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos. The match will kick off at 1 pm.
Nairobi City Stars started the season with a five-match winless run during which they collected only two points before turning a corner with consecutive victories over Gor Mahia (2-1) and Shabana (1-0).
The turnaround catapulted them to 13th with eight points, just one adrift of Tusker who are 7th with nine points.
The Brewers finished second to Gor Mahia last season after collecting 22 points in their last eight matches.
Going into their eighth match of this season, Tusker, evidently, have struggled to continue from where they left last season as they have manage won only twice in seven league matches.
Of concern also is their leaky defence which has not kept a cleansheet since their 1-0 win over Sofapaka in Round 1.
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Kakamega Homeboyz vs Bandari
At the Mumias Sports Complex in Kakamega, Kakamega Homeboyz, 14th with eight points, will host Bandari, 4th with 12 points, at 2 pm on Saturday aiming to secure their first home win against the dockers since a 1-0 win in 2019.
On the other hand, following their 2-0 defeat to Bidco United in Round 7 which halted their six-match unbeaten start to the season, Bandari will hope that Kakamega continues to provide the hospitality they enjoyed in their last four trips there during which they won twice and drew in two matches.
Bandari’s matches have also been a low scoring affair, yielding a league-low of eight goals.
Considering that their last four matches against Kakamega Homeboyz have produced only three goals from as many 1-0 victories, there is a high chance of Saturday’s encounter between the two sides failing to live up to the goal fest witnessed in recent Kakamega Homeboyz matches.
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Murang’a Seal vs Shabana
With the Mashemeji Derby postponed, undoubtedly the weekend’s most entertaining clash will take place in Murang’a on Saturday as Murang’a Seal hosts Shabana in a 3-pm kick-off at the SportPesa Arena.
With their rivalry stretching back to their National Super League days, victory will mean more than three points for either side. Murang’a Seal, who are 11th with nine points, are winless in their last two matches but victory on Saturday may push them as high as 5th.
On the other hand, Shabana, 16th with six points, find themselves flirting with relegation yet again but a win over Murang’a Seal promises to quell those worries as they may rise as high as 11th.
Posta Rangers vs Mathare United
Posta Rangers vs Mathare United will close the curtain on Saturday action as the two clubs take on each other in a 4-pm kick-off at the Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos.
Basement club Posta Rangers have been winless in four league matches since defeating AFC Leopards 1-0 in Round 2 and are yet to win at home since defeating Kakamega Homeboyz 2-1 in May.
The mailmen will be desperate to correct those records but the slowly rising Mathare United, 6th with 11 points, will also have their own ambitions after three wins in their last four league games have proved crucial in putting their season back on track.
SUNDAY MATCHES
Mara Sugar vs Sofapaka
Sunday’s action will see Mara Sugar host Sofapaka at the Green Stadium in Awendo in one of the day’s two matches. The match will kick off at 3 pm.
Even as newcomers, Mara Sugar, second with 15 points, have proved to be a dominant force in the league, particularly at home where they have collected 10 points in four matches.
Sofapaka, on the other hand, had a woeful start to the season, losing thrice and drawing twice in their first five league games before experiencing relief with a 1-0 victory over Shabana.
That triumph was followed with a 2-0 win over Kakamega Homeboyz before a 1-1 draw with Kenya Police put stop to that momentum, leaving them 9th with nine points.
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Ulinzi Stars vs Bidco United
Ulinzi Stars prepare to host Bidco United at the Kinoru Stadium in Meru in a 3-pm kick-off on Sunday hopeful of winning three consecutive league matches for the first time since January 2023.
The Soldiers had started the season with a five-match winless, collecting three points in the process before successive wins over Posta Rangers and AFC Leopards restored a semblance of the Ulinzi Stars of old. The 2010 champions now 8th with nine points.
Bidco United, also having nine points but ranked lower than Ulinzi Stars in 10th place on goal difference, will be on a mission to halt a trend that has dominated their form guide in their seven matches, alternating between a win/draw and defeat.
Having won in their last league game, that trend sets them up for defeat on Sunday, a result that will be alien to them on this occasion since they are yet to lose an away match against the Soldiers.
FKFPL Standings