By Fredrick Nadulli aka Razor,
As the Tusker premier league enters the homestretch,league action takes a back seat this weekend to pave way for the GOtv shield.Customarily,towards the business end of things,any slip-ups could prove costly.The big boys are battling for honours while at the opposite end its a nasty dog fight for top flight survival.
All except Sony Sugar and AFC Leopards have played twenty five times.A date is yet to be set for the replay of this fixture that has had its fair share of controversy.KPL,for (in)security reasons,shifted the match from Awendo to Nakuru.Sony being the home side refused to budge.Leopards were awarded maximum points,the sugarmen appealed and a replay was ordered.
GOR TOP BUT GLANCING OVER
Champions Gor Mahia,with a couple of catch-up fixtures following their brief Cecafa sojourn,sit at the summit having now caught up with the rest of the pack.They do not sit pretty though.
Their midweek stalemate against a plucky Bandari may have been a major hiccup,until title challengers Tusker went to Nakuru twenty four hours later and fell to Ulinzi Stars.
That result means Gor stay five points clear of the alemen to afford them much needed breathing space.Ironically Sofapaka,who have been anonymous,now pose the biggest threat to the defending champions.
They brushed Muhoroni Youth aside to cement second position on the log,a mere two points adrift.The fact that they still have Gor to play alters the dynamics of this tight title race.
Early pacesetters Chemelil Sugar have stubbornly refused to let the three leading horses run away with it.They have an outside chance of stealing it at the tape.Unpredictable Mathare United made the short trip to Thika United and forced a tie courtesy of a brilliant freekick.
Sony Sugar,a pale shadow of the team that mesmerised crowds in the first leg,finally got their groove back with a slim yet important victory at KRA.The taxmen,lately out of sorts,have to their credit amassed crucial first leg points that will undoubtedly afford them survival in the premier division.
Giants AFC Leopards,for all their glittering history,have learnt the hard way that past glory counts for nothing.They lie in the unfamiliar lower reaches,their unprecedented 2-2 draw against KCB doing nothing to placate their restless faithful.
The bankers,themselves groping for form,went to Mumias and showed scant respect to the big cats.If their continued resurgence under coach Shedu is anything to go by,they will make the cut.
Cash-strapped City Stars gave themselves a massive lift with a last-gasp draw at Tusker that threw a spanner into the brewers’ works.Their destiny is sadly not in their hands as they depend on other results to avoid the big chop.
For bottom side Nakuru Allstars,the die is certainly almost cast.Their weekend derby loss to Ulinzi condemned further their misery.Coach Yakhama will take solace in the youthfulness and silky football of his side as he inevitably awaits the trap door.
GOtv ACTION
Meanwhile,it will be the turn of low tier sides to hog the headlines as the GOtv shield enters its quarter-final stage.Upcountry sides Agrochemicals and West Sugar square it out on Saturday for a coveted place in the semis before Bandari face Rangers.
The dockers stayed back in the capital after their resilient midweek league draw with Gor.On Sunday Administration Police have a destiny date with Sofapaka.
It will not be lost on the premier league side that knockout tournaments are a dicey affair where nondescript teams have scant respect for ‘big names’.Sam Timbe’s men will guard against complacency as the eye a seasonal double.
AFC and Tusker complete the weekend round-up,both teams egos badly pricked.The duel is made more the juicier by the fact its Leopards’ only possible chance of silverware this season.
For Tusker,their earlier Top 8 tourney triumph will not be enough to placate their demanding management,seeing that no cost has been spared to accord the technical team maximum support.
Realistically,the league title looks like a distant prospect at this point in time.
