Clubs to mark a minute of silence in honour of General Ogolla as FKFPL enters round 27

FKF Premier League action continues this weekend, albeit on a sombre note, as the federation announced that all league matches played over the next two weeks will be preceded by a minute’s silence in honour of Chief of Defence Forces Francis Ogolla.

General Ogolla died in a chopper crash alongside nine other people on Thursday, April 18, in the Sindar area at the border of Elgeyo-Marakwet and West Pokot counties.

He was 62 years old and had been promoted to the CDF in April last year.

General Francis Ogolla was an accomplished and decorated military leader who held several command, staff, and instructional positions in the KDF, prior to his promotion to General and appointment as Chief of Defense Forces.

He commanded the Laikipia Air Base Tactical Flight… pic.twitter.com/9rbel8CKHw

— Gideon Kitheka Snr (@Gideon_Kitheka) April 19, 2024

The 95th Mashemeji Derby meeting between Gor Mahia and the AFC Leopards will generate the weekend’s biggest talking points as Gor Mahia hopes to maintain their healthy nine-point lead at the top of the table with 54 points.

The AFC Leopards, on the other hand, despite not appearing in the title talk due to being in 8th place with 38 points, will be going for bragging as they seek to avenge a 2-0 first-leg loss to their bitter rivals. The match will be played on Sunday, April 21, 2024, at the Nyayo National Stadium and it will kick off at 3 p.m..

Saturday will see the bulk of Round 27 matches played as 12 teams take to the pitch in contests that will take place at four venues.

There will be two double header fixtures with Kariobangi Sharks vs. Nzoia Sugar (1 pm) and Police FC vs. Sofapaka (4 pm) taking place at the Police Sacco Stadium, while Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos, will witness Bidco United welcome Posta Rangers at 1 pm before giving way to FC Talanta vs. Nairobi City at 4 pm.

The Kariobangi Sharks, who are 12th with 31 points, look certain to extend their six-match unbeaten run against a Nzoia Sugar side that is bottom with 17 points and winless in five consecutive matches.

The danger of being dragged into the relegation dogfight looms large for Sofapaka, as at 15th place with only three points above 16th-placed Muhoroni Youth, who have 25 points, Batoto ba Mungu will have to punch above their weight as they tackle the in-form Police FC, who are second with 45 points and are unbeaten in 2024.

In Machakos, Posta Rangers will be desperate for a return to winning ways, and a victory over 9th-placed Bidco United may see them go into Round 28 in 5th place with 42 points, depending on how Nairobi City Stars (5th with 42 points) and Kakamega Homeboyz (6th with 39 points) perform. For Bidco United, even though victory may help them hold on to 9th place as they trail the AFC Leopards by 4 points, a win will sure bring relief for ending a six-match winless streak.

Nairobi City Stars have every reason to hope for a repeat of the 3-0 first-leg over FC Talanta, as it is sure to take them to at least joint-second. With 30 points at position 14, Talanta may currently feel safe due to the low pressure of relegation. However, knowing how quickly fortunes change in the FKF Premier League, their 3-1 win over Tusker FC last weekend may encourage them to go for maximum points again and take a step towards guaranteeing safety as soon as possible.

Which FKFPL games are you attending this weekend?#FootballKE pic.twitter.com/PkPw6uWJ9m

— Passion Sports (@PassionSportsEA) April 20, 2024

At the Raila Odinga Stadium in Homa Bay, 17th-placed Shabana will be doing everything they can to add three points to their current tally of 24 with a win against Kakamega Homeboyz in their 3 pm kick-off and, as such, leapfrog Muhoroni Youth into the play-off spot.

In Mombasa, Bandari (3rd with 44 points) will have another chance to attempt to get their first home league win since the closure of their primary home ground, Mbaraki Sports Club, last month.

The Dockers started life away from Mbaraki last weekend with a 1-1 draw with Bidco United and will hope to make amends when they host KCB (10th with 34 points) at the same venue on Saturday.

Also wishing to make amends in Round 27 are Muhoroni Youth (16th with 25 points) and Tusker (4th with 43 points), who travel to Murang’a Seal (11th with 34 points) and Ulinzi Stars (13th with 26 points), respectively, on Sunday.

Muhoroni Youth were left to rue slipping to a 2-1 loss at home to Shabana last weekend and an away trip to Murang’a Seal, who will also be looking for a return to winning ways after falling 3-0 to Nairobi City Stars last weekend, presents a difficult challenge for correcting the previous week’s slip-up.

The match between the two sides will kick off at 3 pm at Sebastian Park in Murang’a.

At the Ulinzi Sports Complex in a 3 p.m. kickoff, Tusker will hope not to fall victim to the Ulinzi Stars’ resurgence as the Alemen look for their first league win in four matches.