•Some sides experienced a great start to the season, only to fizzle out to the bottom of the table at the close of business.
•Defending champions Gor Mahia are hot favourites to run away with the title after fending off an abrasive challenge to clinch the preceding season.
Image: FILE
The new Kenyan Premier League season has entered its second week with all the 18 teams intent on charging for the title.
And as action gains pace at various stadia across the country, the coaches are exuding confidence in guiding their sides to the coveted silverware. However, there will be only one team celebrating the title at the end of the season.
The country’s top-tier league has never been for the fainthearted. Some sides experienced a great start to the season, only to fizzle out to the bottom of the table at the close of business.
It takes a lot of determination and unmatched resilience to emerge triumphant at any given time. There has always been cutthroat competition over the years and the unpredictability of the league makes it all the more interesting.
Defending champions Gor Mahia are hot favourites to run away with the title after fending off an abrasive challenge to clinch the preceding season.
K’Ogalo’s Irish tactician Jonathan McKinstry is alive to the treacherous terrain of local football which has all the qualities of a minefield where the naive and inexperienced sides eventually get blown away into oblivion.
The experienced gaffer, who penned a two-year contract with the Green Army in July last year, confounded his critics to guide the club to a historic 20th topflight title in April. McKinstry said they have their sights firmly trained on retaining the trophy.
But despite tucking away the title, Gor suffered a major setback when they were denied a chance to grace the Caf Champions League stage.
This came after the continental football governing body, Caf, banned the Kenyan giants for failing to offset dues owed to former players.
McKinstry has pledged to steer his charges to another continental glory in the upcoming season.
Gor has unsuccessfully attempted to replicate the feat achieved by the history-making squad that upset Esperance of Tunisia to bag the Mandela Cup in 1987.
“We can’t as a technical bench celebrate too long. We not only want to retain this trophy but we want to go further and fly the country’s flag in the Caf Champions League this season,” McKinstry said.
K’Ogalo will have to contend with intense rivalry from rival clubs that boast of more financial muscles, including immediate former champions Tusker FC who emerged second last season.
The Brewers held a pre-season camp in Arusha, where they flexed muscles with Tanzanian sides in two build-up encounters, posting mixed results.
Their campaign began on a horrid note with a 1-0 defeat to Coastal Union at the Ushirika Stadium in Moshi before they squeezed out a one-all draw against Mbuni FC at Sheikh Abeid Karume Stadium on Saturday in Arusha.
The trip proved useful as they launched their Kenyan Premier League title hunt with a hard-fought win over Bandari in their season opener at Mbaraki grounds last weekend.
Tusker head coach Robert Matano has urged his charges to do all in their power to replicate the great character that has defined them in the past. “As former champions, we must rise to the occasion, remain focused, and show determination to reclaim the title that we surrendered last season,” Matano said.
“My players have realised the need to restore their image. They have displayed strength, and I’ve witnessed improvements in their training sessions. The true Tusker spirit has resurfaced, and we are ready.”
The newly appointed Ulinzi Stars head coach Anthony “Modo” Kimani has pledged to end the Kenyan Premier League club’s 13-year title drought. Kimani said the management of the club had already made their expectations clear to him upon appointment.
“I had my work cut out as I joined the club, which is to secure titles,” Kimani said.
“I am joining a side that has displayed immense potential in the past by winning four KPL titles. We have amazing management around here and some exceptionally talented players to help us in delivering the title,” he remarked. Kimani said he is aware of the huge responsibility placed on his shoulders.
He is expected to turn around the fortunes of the soldiers who have endured a long spell without any major local silverware since 2010 when they last clinched the KPL title. Ulinzi secured him to replace Bernard Mwalala who switched allegiance to KCB at the beginning of July.
Initially based at Lanet in Nakuru county, the Kenya Defence Forces affiliated club recently shifted base to the newly constructed Ulinzi Sports Complex at Langata in Nairobi. They romped to consecutive titles from 2003 to 2005 and bagged another one in 2010.
The newly appointed Ulinzi Stars skipper, Bryan Birgen, tipped the side to thrive under the new head coach Kimani. “We are now trying to push beyond limits so that we can adapt to the philosophy of the new coach,” Birgen stated.
Birgen pledged to lead the Langata-based club to glory in the new season that kicks off on August 26. Sofapaka head coach Francis Haringingo has expressed confidence in halting the club’s 15-year title drought.
They kicked off their season last Saturday with a barren draw against Gor at Kasarani. “We aim to win the title and that can be achievable given the standards we shall be setting at the club going forward,” Haringingo said.
“I know we must aim to work extremely hard to realize our goal because the Kenyan top-flight league is very physical and the players aggressive. It’s something I have observed while following Kenyan football for a while now.”
Haringingo expressed confidence in the quality of the players, saying there was sufficient depth in the squad to charge for silverware.
“I am impressed with the squad I’ve been given. We have some exciting players on the side who can who can guide us successfully towards our title hunt.”
KCB is beginning a new era under the guidance of Bernard Mwalala, who has pledged a new chapter full of a success narrative.
“I am excited by the opportunity, and I am fully committed to building a strong and competitive team that will deliver positive results on the field. I have a plan, we are going for the title next season and beyond,” he said.
Mwalala boasts a wealth of experience having previously guided notable top-flight clubs including Nzoia Sugar Football Club, Bandari FC, Homeboyz FC, and Ulinzi Stars where he registered remarkable outcomes.
AFC Leopards head coach Tom Juma has pledged to turn around the fortunes of the club that is yet to secure the topflight title for the last 20 years.
Musa lamented the effects of the far-reaching ban imposed by the world football governing body, Fifa, saying it had limited their potential to charge for the Kenyan Premier League title for the last three seasons. Leopards have signed 18 players in the just-concluded transfer window to bolster their title aspirations.
“Everyone is aware of the challenges that we faced in the club owing to the ban. It made it impossible for us to win the league title given we could not sign new players,” Musa remarked.
“We have been forced to rely on the same crop of players for the last two seasons, most of whom were promoted from the academy side. “We appreciate the awesome contribution to the team but an excellent performance necessitates quality signings.
“Ingwe courted trouble after the Belgian tactician filed a suit at the world governing body in March 2022 over unpaid dues amounting to Sh21.5 million. This amount accrued between July 31, 2021 — when he signed a new two-year contract — and December 28, 2021.
The positive turn of events follows a series of discussions arbitrated by Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa that sought to strike a common ground on the payment plan.
Kakamega Homeboyz head coach Patrick Odhiambo said they are aiming for nothing short of the Kenyan Premier League title.
On Saturday, Homeboyz travel to Central Kenya, where they will take on top-tier newbies Murang’a Seal.
“Our target is to win the league and so we intend to gather as many points as we can from our fix beginning this Saturday,” Odhiambo said.
The gaffer cautioned his talent-laden squad against underestimating their opponents who are generally perceived as inexperienced.
“We know they are hungry for top-flight glory and will do everything they can to make a statement in their fixtures against seasoned teams,” Odhiambo said.
Odhiambo said they will unleash all their potent arsenals to grace the continental stage again next season. “We have tested the Caf Confederations Cup and we are looking forward to another chance to put up a better show next season. We must work extremely hard for another opportunity,” Odhiambo stated.
The newly appointed Nzoia Sugar head coach Godfrey Oduor has said he will be targeting a respectable finish in the new season.
Oduor admitted it would be outrageous to raise their target to unattainable levels, especially after the club experienced a mass exodus of players.
“We have not set any specific targets for the season but our main goal is to perform well and conclude the season in a respectable position,” Oduor remarked. “Aiming for the title is a little bit unrealistic for us at this point when we lost some of our key players to Kenyan Premier League rivals in the last transfer window.”
Oduor said they had already embarked on a frantic bid to rebuild the side after identifying players with the potential to step into the shoes of those who have bid the club farewell.
The Millers rose above all odds to surpass expectations after cracking a top-four finish last season. Other than the seasoned and well-known sides, two new clubs are likely to inject some fresh impetus into the competition.
The newly promoted sides include Kisii-based Shabana FC who punched a direct ticket to the league after wrapping up at the summit of the National Super League in the concluded season. They will be joined by second-tier runners-up Murang’a Seal.
The two sides had a taste of the topflight stage last Sunday when they faced each other in a match that Seal won 1-0 at the Raila Odinga Stadium in Homabay county.
Shabana head coach, Sammy Okoth has said he intends to maintain the squad that won the NSL for the sake of continuity and consistency.
“I will integrate the new signings into the team slowly. I don’t want to dismantle the team that helped us qualify for the Premier League. They will have to learn our style and philosophy,” he noted. They have an uphill task against Talanta at Nyayo Stadium on Friday.
Murang’a Seal counterpart Gabriel Kingi said he is still gauging the league before setting his targets for the season. “It’s too early to set targets. I will set my objectives after four games from today. However, maintaining KPL status is one of my targets,” said Kingi.
“Picking three points away from home is not easy. I’m proud of the boys, especially the new signing Awita. He is among the seven new players we signed and I’m happy he scored on his debut,” noted the veteran coach. Murang’a Seal will host Kakamega Homeboyz at St Sebastian Park on Saturday. Other clubs in the competition include Bidco, Talanta, and Kenya Police.