Defending Football Kenya Federation Cup champions Kenya Police FC will face record Kenya Premier League champions Gor Mahia in the highly anticipated Sirkal Derby on Saturday at 3:00 PM at the SportPesa Arena in Murang’a County.
Kenya Police FC is on an upward trajectory, coming off a dominant 3-0 victory over Bidco United on Wednesday that gave them their third straight win.
The team has shown significant improvement under new head coach Etienne Ndayiragije who took over from the sacked Salim Babu and Anthony Kimani partnership in early December.
Etienne, in his fifth match at the helm, has suffered only one loss — a 1-0 defeat to AFC Leopards in his debut match.
Since then, his side bounced back with a resounding 3-1 win over Nairobi City Stars and a 1-0 triumph against Mara Sugar.
Play here to place your bet on the Kenya Police vs Gor Mahia game
These results have propelled the team from the relegation zone to seventh place with 17 points, and they still have two games in hand.
Meanwhile, Gor Mahia, under interim coach Zico, travel to Murang’a with a sense of disappointment after being held to a 1-1 draw by Shabana at Kenyatta Stadium on Wednesday.
Gor Mahia initially took the lead through Christopher Ochieng’s header, but a late equalizer from Mathew Tegisi off a free kick denied them victory.
Despite being unbeaten in their previous three matches, Gor Mahia’s momentum was halted by a 1-0 loss to Bidco United.
They are currently in fourth place with 18 points, six points behind log leaders KCB, with five wins, three draws, and three losses.
ALSO READ: Why hosting CHAN 2025 will cost extra money, explains Sports CS Kipchumba Murkomen
Gor Mahia vs Kenya Police H2H
In the last six encounters between these two sides, both teams have won twice, and there have been two draws.
Last season, Police FC held Gor Mahia to a 0-0 draw at home before securing a 3-1 victory at the Police Sacco Stadium.
In the match, Etienne is likely to maintain the same squad that triumphed over Bidco United, with no injuries reported so far. Key player David Okoth, who netted a brace against Gor Mahia last season, will be one to watch.
On the other hand, Zico will be without Ghanaian midfielder Enock Morrison, who is suspended after a red card in the Shabana match.
ALSO READ: Fact Check: Is the new Manchester United signing Emmanuel Ziro a Kenyan?
In other fixtures, Mara Sugar will host Kariobangi Sharks at 2:00 PM at the Awendo Stadium in what promises to be an intense match.
Mara Sugar is seeking their first win in six matches while Sharks will aim to recover after a 2-2 draw with Nairobi City Stars. Both teams need three points to stay competitive in the Premier League standings.
Elsewhere, Nairobi City Stars will face FC Talanta at Utalii Grounds in the afternoon, while Kakamega Homeboyz will take on Ulinzi Stars at Mumias Stadium, also at 2:00 PM.
