Gor Mahia versus Bandari clash highlights FKFPL round 24 action

The 2023/24 FKF Premier League season hurtled into Round 24 with KCB registering its 8th win of the season following a 3-2 victory over struggling Shabana FC on Friday 8 March 8  in a match played at the Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos.

The result saw KCB leapfrog Bidco United into 9th place with 33 points and Shabana stuck at 17th place with 18 points.

Other matches of the round will see Nairobi City Stars host Bidco United from 1 pm this afternoon at the Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos. Sofapaka will host Murang'a Seal at the same venue from 4PM. This double header will be live on Azam Sports.

Simba Wa Nairobi and Bidco United will be looking to arrest a poor fun of form which has seen pick only one point in their last two and three matches respectively. Nothing short of a victory will see Nairobi City Stars go three matches without a win for the third time this season. For Bidco United, the encounter presents great hopes for them to turn a corner as they are yet to go four consecutive matches without a win this season. Nairobi City Stars are 6th with 38 points while Bidco United lie in 10th place with 31 points. However, if recent history is anything to go by, the match could end in a draw as nothing separated the two teams in their last two encounters.

Sofapaka, who are 14th with 26 points, will hope to extend their five-match unbeaten run against a Murang’a Seal who are showing signs of resurgence after picking four points in their last two matches with a 1-0 win against Bidco United in Round 22 and a 0-0 draw against KCB in Round 23. Murang’a Seal’s victory over Bidco United saw the club end an 11-match winless streak. Murang’a Seal, who defeated Sofapaka 2-0, in the reverse fixture are 11th with 28 points.

Bandari vs Gor Mahia - 3PM - Mbaraki Sports Club

With the TV cameras at Machakos on Saturday, the spotlight will also shine brightly on the Mbaraki Sports Club where Bandari (3rd) will host Gor Mahia (1st) in a 3 pm kick off. Despite enjoying a 10-point at the top of the table, Gor Mahia will still find themselves under pressure to win against Bandari who are joint-second with Tusker on 40 points but with an inferior goal difference. The Dockers are winless in their last 10 matches against Gor Mahia and with the Mbaraki Sports Club set to be closed for renovations after their Saturday fixture, Bandari should more motivated to register their first win over K’Ogalo since a 2-1 success in 2018.

Sunday action

Five matches will be on the cards on Sunday with a TV double header at the Police Sacco Stadium where Posta Rangers will host Kariobangi Sharks at 1 pm before Police FC welcome Muhoroni Youth at 4 pm.

Posta Rangers will be looking to bounce back from a humiliating 4-0 defeat against Gor Mahia in their last league match. Victory on Sunday will see them complete their first ever league double over Kariobangi Sharks whom they defeated 1-0 in the first leg. Such a result should see them rise to second place with 42 points if Bandari and Tusker fail to win in their Round 24 assignments.

On the other hand, Kariobangi Sharks hope to replicate their early season form which saw them start with a four-match unbeaten streak. Since then, the club has struggled to go at least four matches without losing, a feature of their turbulent season made worse by a five-match losing streak they suffered between Round 10 and Round 14. The inconsistent form has left Kariobangi Sharks lying precariously in 15th place with 24 points.

Police FC vs Muhoroni Youth will be Round 24’s mismatch tie. Police FC, who are 5th with 38 points, are one of the league’s form team having collected 14 points from their last six matches while scoring six goals and conceding only once. Even though their head-to-head record against Police FC remains evenly poised with two teams registering one victory and three draws over their five league meetings, Muhoroni Youth, ranked 16th with 21 points, will have to punch above their weight if the form guide is anything to go by. Muhoroni Youth have collected only three points for their last six matches (all from draws). However, scoring four times over that stretch should encourage that they are capable of getting a result if they shore up their leaky defence which has allowed seven goals in that period.

Tusker FC vs AFC Leopards - Machakos - 3PM 

The Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos, will serve another installment of the eternal rivalry between Tusker FC and AFC Leopards in front of TV cameras as the Brewers host Ingwe in a 3 pm kick off.

With 16 points from their last six matches, AFC Leopards is the league’s form team. They have hit a purple patch which has seen them rise to 7th with 34 points. However, even with their good form, there is a risk of them crumbling against Tusker, a team that has been their bête-noire from time immemorial. Tusker, who have 12 points from their last six matches, have won four of their last six encounters against Ingwe.

Kakamega Homeboyz vs Ulinzi Stars - Mumias - 3PM 

Away from Nairobi and its metropolitan area, Kakamega Homeboyz, 8th with 34 points, will host Ulinzi Stars, 12th with 26 points, at 3 pm at the Mumias Sports Complex in Kakamega County while at the Sudi Stadium in Bungoma County, Nzoia Sugar will welcome Talanta in a yet another 3 pm kick off. Kakamega Homeboyz have won only once in their last nine matches and, therefore, their encounter against Ulinzi Stars, who have lost in four their last six visits to Kakamega Homeboyz, could not have come at a better time for Abana Abeingo.

Nzoia vs Talanta 

Bottom-of-the-table Nzoia Sugar will hope to increase their points tally with a win against Talanta and as such, rise to 17th place and increase their hopes of surviving relegation. Talanta, 13th with 26 points, seems like a team that is already on the beach as the poor form of the teams below them seem to keep them afloat.