Following the culmination of the SportPesa Super 8 Premier League (SPS8 PL), champions Kayole Asubuhi will face off with East conference rivals Jericho All Stars in the first season of the SportPesa Super 8 Champions League (SPS8 CL) according to the draw which was conducted on Friday 30 September at LMS Conference hall.
The top eight teams in the just concluded league are scheduled to battle for the top honors in the champions League where the best four from the East conference will tackle the each other while the other four from the West will also play each other with the winner from both conferences meeting in the finals.
Metro Sports FC will lock horns with Shauri Moyo Blue Stars in the other East conference encounter while in the West conference, Kawangaware United host conference winners TUK in the first tie as Ajax FC battle Meltah Kabiria.
According to Extreme Sports Limited Head of Operations and Coordination Mr. Athanas Obango, the SportPesa Super 8 Champions League seeks to find the best team in Nairobi County as well as expose grass root talent to the world.
“At the beginning of the year we promised to include the Champions League in our calendar and we expect the tough competition from the eight teams who will be competing for the bragging rights of Nairobi County.” Obango said.
He added: “But importantly, as a professional sports management company, Extreme Sports is committed to build the game by nurturing talent at the grass root and the Sps8 CL will be another platform to achieve that.”
The winner will walk home with Ksh 500,000 from Extreme Sports Limited, the company that runs the league and SportPesa who are the title sponsors. Runners up will pocket Ksh 250,000 while third place takes Ksh 100,000.
The SPS8 CL will kick-off in earnest on October 23 and will be played on a knock-out basis.
And after coming devastatingly close to win the SPS8 Premier League, Jericho All Stars team manager Erick Agwanda is brimmed with confidence that they can win the championship after finishing second.
“We cannot afford to lose twice against Kayole we know it will be a tough match (against Asubuhi) but this time we know their game very well and we will be aiming for revenge after they beat us in the league. The team is training very hard for this especially after failing to clinch the title and am sure Jericho has what it takes to win this.” Agwanda whose Jericho will be aiming to avenge their 1-0 defeat against Asubuhi in the league said after the draw.
Kayole Asubuhi were 2-0 winners over Kiamaiko City to win the SPS8 PL and will be looking to replicate their heroics in the Champions League for a double.
FULL DRAW
EAST CONFERENCE
JERICHO ALL STARS VS KAYOLE ASUBUHI
METRO SPORTS FC VS SHAURI MOYO BLUE STARS
WEST CONFERENCE
KAWANGWARE UNITED VS TUK
AJAX FC VS MELTAH KABIRIA
