Chemelil Sugar have registered their reservation over the Kenya Premier League decision to shift their home match against AFC Leopards to Kasarani on the opening day of the 2013 season this Sunday.
Chemelil team manager, Rajab Said, noted that the action has put their team in a tough financial situation as it means spending more.“We stand to lose the advantage of playing at our backyard or at a ground of out choice. We are also going to spend money we had not budgeted for to travel to Nairobi to ‘host’ the away team,” he noted.
“We are aggrieved by this decision because, KPL left it late and talked with our chairman Robert Nyakundi to have the match venue shifted as there will be no other alternative ground available. The Awendo Green Stadium we had selected to host Leopards has been earmarked for the match between Sony Sugar and Mathare United,” observed Rajab.
The Chemelil team manager felt that it would have been prudent for KPL to have the match pitting Sony and Mathare played in Nairobi at Kasarani or otherwise have their opponents Leopards as the home team for the opening match of the season.
“It is unfortunate because now we will have to play our opening three matches away from home which puts our team at a disadvantage. This is because after Leopards, we will need to travel again to Nairobi to face Mathare on March 1 after which we return to Awendo to face Sony Sugar. This amount of travel is bound to have an adverse effect on the performance of the team,” lamented Rajab.
Chemelil coached by their former player and Kenyan international Mike Mururi warmed up for the start of the league season with a comfortable 2-0 win over west Kenya Sugar with Willis Ouma and Victor omondi as the scorers. Rajab revealed that the team had no major injury concern, going into the new season and were confident of improving on their seventh place finish in 2012.
Chemelil new signings: James Macharia, Samuel Ouma, Edwin Misiko (All Oserian), John Onami
(Sofapaka), Geoffrey Maina (KCB), Japheth Wamunga (Kolongolo, Busia), Kevin Omondi (Karuturi Sports), John Mwita (Agro Chemical), and Stephen Wakanya (West Kenya Sugar).