- The Tusker vs KCB match will mark the first game in the SportPesa League.
- The match will take place at Kasarani Stadium, starting at 6:00 PM EAT under the floodlights.
- Leading gaming firm SportPesa signed a 10-year deal with FKF for the topflight league.
The exciting top-tier Kenyan league, now officially referred to as the SportPesa League, kicks off today with a mouth-watering Tusker vs KCB clash kicking off from 6PM at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
This season’s topflight, featuring 18 teams, promises to be a thrilling affair with SportPesa as the official title sponsors for the next ten years.
The leading gaming firm has made a comeback since 2019, with stakes higher than ever as clubs compete for a KSh 15 million prize for the champions, while the second and third-place finishers will earn three and two million, respectively.
Additionally, this season marks the first time in two years that top-flight matches will return to the Kasarani and Nyayo stadiums following extensive renovations.
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Tusker vs KCB gets 25/25 SportPesa League campaign underway
With so much on the line, Tusker enters the new campaign determined to exact revenge after last season’s disappointment, where the title slipped from their grasp in the final matches. They ultimately faltered and finished in fourth place with 57 points.
Head coach Charles Okere and his squad are hungry for their 13th league title, aiming not only for revenge but to reassert dominance early.
To bolster their squad, the brewers have made several new signings hoping to fill the void left by lethal striker Ryan Wesley Ogam who joined Austrian side Wolfsberger.
Okere will be looking to transform 2018 MVP Eric Kapaito into a prolific goalscorer to replace Ogam after the forward signed with the team this season.
On the other hand, the Bankers, were among the teams that started last season strongly and dominated the first leg, only to stumble in the second half and finish ninth with 42 points.
They will be aiming for another strong start this season. Under new management led by Robert Matano, they will also be seeking to claim the KSh 15 million prize reserved for the champions.
KCB was one of the busiest teams during the transfer window, signing nearly 18 players as part of their strategy to renew the squad.
Speaking on ahead of the clash, Matano stated that the team’s morale is high, and he hopes they will maintain their focus match after match.
“The mood with the boys is okay and the morale is very high. The preparations have been excellent, and I can say we are ready for the match. Apart from a few injuries, the rest of the team is okay.”
“This match will not solely determine our league fate, but all we have to do is take it, and the matches that follow one at a time, and if possible, win every one of them. We are going to approach each game as it comes.”
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Last season, KCB took four points from Tusker, with a 3-2 win in the first leg and a 0-0 draw in the return fixture.
As the new SportPesa League gets underway, this encounter is expected to be a fiercely contested battle.