Action-packed Saturday as FKF PL enters Round 26

League leaders Gor Mahia will warm-up for their Nairobi Derby league match against AFC Leopards in Round 27 with a visit to relegation-threatened Nzoia Sugar. The match will be played at Sudi Stadium with Gor Mahia heavy favourites to register a victory in the 3 pm kick-off that will see them return to winning ways. Gor Mahia, who lead the standings with 51 points, have been winless in their last two matches while Nzoia Sugar, bottom with 17 points, have not won in four matches.

Mombasa-based Bandari FC have a chance to rise to second temporarily as they host Bidco United in a 3 pm kick-off that will be their first home match since the closure of their home ground, Mbaraki Sports Club, for renovations in March. Bandari will host the match at the Mombasa Sports Club and will be hoping to avenge their 2-0 first leg loss against the away side. Bandari are joint-second on the log with Tusker on 43 points but the alemen are ranked higher on goal difference. Bidco United are 11th with 33 points.

Kenya Police FC will be ready to pounce and leapfrog Tusker and Bandari into second place should the Dockers slip up against Bidco United. The lawenforcers are fourth with 42 points and will be playing away to 10th-placed KCB at the Police Sacco Stadium in a 4 pm kick-off. The bankers have 34 points and should fancy their chances of adding to that tally since they have never dropped points against Kenya Police FC in their five league encounters so far. KCB have won thrice and drawn two times in those five league matches against their Saturday opponents.

KCB vs Kenya Police will be one of three matches that will be televised on Saturday with the contest between the bankers and the lawenforcers being played as a TV doubleheader with Nairobi City Stars vs Murang’a Seal which will kick off at 1 pm. Nairobi City Stars, 6th with 39 points, will hope home comforts will help halt a four-match winless streak against a Murang’a Seal brimming with confidence after collecting 10 points in their last four matches. The purple patch catapulted Murang’a Seal to 9th with 34 points and another good outing should see them go into Round 27 in 7th place depending on how Kakamega Homeboyz and AFC Leopards perform.

The day’s other TV match will see Sofapaka hosting Ulinzi Stars at the Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos in a 3 pm kick-off in what promises to be a closely-contested encounter as Batoto ba Mungu are 15th with 27 points while the Soldiers are 13th with 29 points. Ulinzi Stars showed promise of resurgence last weekend with a 1-0 win over Bandari and having never lost against Sofapaka since 2018, they should be more motivated to win on Saturday.

Saturday’s other match will see Kakamega Homeboyz, 7th with 38 points, welcome Kariobangi Sharks, 12th with 30 points, to the Mumias Sports Complex. After starting the year with a four-match winless streak, Kariobangi Sharks turned a corner in mid-February and since then have collected 11 points in five matches. The trip to Mumias serves as a stern test to them maintaining that momentum as Kakamega Homeboyz have also proved unbeatable over the same period with nine points from five league matches and have won six of their eight home league matches against Kariobangi Sharks while drawing one game and losing only once.

Sunday will have two matches, with both scheduled as a tv doubleheader at the Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos. Second-placed Tusker FC will look to redeem themselves in the 1 pm kick-off against Talanta, 14th with 27 points, after losing 3-2 to Kariobangi Sharks at the same venue last weekend.

The 4 pm kick off will feature Posta Rangers and AFC Leopards. The embattled mailmen, 5th with 39 points, have suffered heavy losses in their last three league matches and with AFC Leopards, 8th with 35 points, looking to prevent their winless run stretching to three matches, will not be having so much sympathy for their Sunday opponents.

The explosive relegation six-pointer between Muhoroni Youth and Shabana has been scheduled for Monday, April 15, 2024. The match will be played at the Mamboleo Stadium in Kisumu and it will kick off at 3 pm. Muhoroni Youth, 16th with 25 points, will be more motivated as victory will take them out of the relegation zone if Talanta and Sofapaka falter against their Round 25 opponents. For Shabana, who are 17th with 21 points, a victory will only bring them to a point of catching up with Muhoroni Youth.