The Kenya Premier League (KPL) Limited have taken another step towards making good their threat of running their own top flight league without the input of the federation after they released fixtures for their opening weekend in a fortnights time.
Champions Gor Mahia will open their title defence against Mathare United at City Stadium as the 2015 Kenyan Premier League kicks off on the weekend of February 21-22. Kenya’s top club football competition will feature 16 teams.
Last season’s runners up Sofapaka will begin their campaign by hosting Ushuru at their joint Machakos County home on February 22. They will then take on Muhoroni Youth, Mathare United and the first team to have been promoted to the top flight league in that order.
Title favourites Tusker will have Thika United to contend with in their opening match, and this will be followed by an exciting fixture against Ulinzi Stars.
KPL bigwigs AFC Leopards face a tricky away match against Chemelil Sugar on opening day, followed by an easy looking tie against one of the newly promoted sides.
Muhoroni Youth and Bandari have been handed the pleasure of baptising the newly promoted sides on February 22 at venues to be announced later.
Gor Mahia, under coach Frank Nuttal, will be allowed time off after their opening fixture to honour their return leg of the CAF Champions League the following weekend. They will then travel to the Awendo Green Stadium, where they face their first real test against bitter rivals Sony Sugar in a midweek clash slated for March 4.
The record 14-time champions will thereafter face a formidable looking Bandari in their third match before taking part in the ever exciting ‘Mashemeji Derby’ — easily the biggest fixture of the league, against sworn enemies AFC Leopards on March 18.
The first leg is scheduled to end on June 6 with cracking matches pitting AFC Leopards against Sofapaka, and Gor versus title rivals Tusker. Gor Mahia retained the Premier League after collecting 60 points, three ahead of runners up Sofapaka.
KPL opening weekend fixtures (kick-off 3pm)—February 21: Chemelil Sugar vs AFC Leopards (Chemelil), Ulinzi Stars vs Sony Sugar (Afraha), KCB vs Western Stima (City), Thika United vs Tusker (Thika); February 22: Team ‘B’ vs Muhoroni Youth (TBA), Team A vs Bandari (TBA), Sofapaka vs Ushuru (Machakos), Gor Mahia vs Mathare United (City).
