KCB FC will be aiming to return to winning ways when they take on Bandari FC in a SportPesa League encounter at Kasarani Annex on Sunday afternoon.
The Bankers head into the fixture looking to recover from their narrow 1-0 defeat to APS Bomet in midweek, a result that slowed down their push for a stronger finish in the league standings.
With four matches left before the end of the season, KCB will be keen to steady the ship and build momentum ahead of their crucial FKF Cup semi-final clash against Tusker FC next weekend.
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KCB aim to return to winning ways against Bandari FC
Coached by the experienced Robert Matano, KCB currently sit seventh on the SportPesa League table with 41 points collected from 11 wins, eight draws and 11 defeats. The Bankers will now be targeting their 12th league victory of the campaign as they continue chasing a strong finish to the season.
Bandari FC also head into the match seeking a positive result after settling for a 1-1 draw against Posta Rangers FC in their previous outing. The draw marked the Dockers’ 16th stalemate of the season, the highest number recorded by any team in the league so far.
The Mombasa-based side are currently placed ninth on the table with 40 points, just one behind KCB. Bandari have managed eight wins, 16 draws and six defeats this season, scoring 23 goals while conceding 21.
Their defensive solidity has been one of their strongest assets this campaign, with goalkeeper Allain Ngeleka registering 12 clean sheets, the second-highest tally in the league.
KCB forward David Sakwa believes securing maximum points against Bandari would provide the perfect confidence boost before their FKF Cup semi-final assignment.
“We want to bounce back because in our last match on Wednesday we lost so our focus is getting a win so that we have a great morale heading into the FKF Cup semis,” said Sakwa.
The Bankers have had a demanding schedule in recent days, having played consecutive high-intensity matches within a short period. KCB edged Nairobi United FC 1-0 in the FKF Cup quarter-final over the weekend before suffering a similar defeat away to APS Bomet in midweek.
Coach Matano admitted fatigue affected his side during the trip to Bomet but expressed confidence that the technical bench is managing the workload ahead of the Bandari showdown.
“We saw it in APS Bomet’s match after playing a hard match against Nairobi United and traveled the following day but we are trying to manage the fatigue,” said Matano.
The veteran tactician also delivered a major boost after confirming that all players are available for selection ahead of the clash.
“Everyone is fit which is good for the team as we missed a number of them which cost us against APS Bomet but we are now ready for the match,” he added.
With both sides separated by just a single point on the table, Sunday’s encounter is expected to be a tightly contested affair as each team pushes for a strong finish to the campaign.
The match kicks off at 3:15PM at Kasarani Annex. Tickets are retailing at Kshs 200 and can be purchased via fanpass.ke.