Relegation-threatened Western Jaguars will be counting on home advantage and the return of four of their top players when they host Greensharks in Kakamega in a Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) Premier League encounter today.
Jaguars are bottom of the log with 11 points and will hope to rake in maximum points against their visitors, which will go a long way in boosting their chances of survival.
With five league matches remaining and the bottom three teams slated to be axed, Jaguars will be forced to dig deep for nothing short of maximum points, an ambition which head coach, Michael Malungu, believes is within their reach.
Malungu noted that their poor run was orchestrated by his absence alongside that of four of their players, who were part of the national team which represented Kenya at the Africa Youth Games and the Youth Olympics games.
“We would not be battling relegation today had we had a better focus in the league.
As you all know, I was away with the national team and four players to the continental and global games which our opponents heavily capitalised on.
We play Sharks at home and we are going for nothing short of the three points,” said Malungu. Champions Kenya Police will have their recent superb run put to test by third-placed Wazalendo.
Police are joint top alongside Butali after successfully erasing the 12-point gap. Strathmore University Scorpions will be out to slice the gap between them and leaders Telkom to three points when they play Sliders at the same venue.
Scorpions have 24 points, six behind leaders Telkom, who have played an extra game and Meshack Senge’s girls will be aware what a win will do to their title ambitions.
Tomorrow, title hopefuls Butali will confront USIU-A Mashujaa with the aim of keeping tabs with fellow leaders Kenya Police.