Mighty table-top battle expected as Mathare and Ulinzi go head-to-head in SPL

The match of round sixteen of Sportspesa Premier League is surely Mathare United vs Ulinzi Stars. The two occupy positions three and two respectively. They are currently tied on every thing save for goals conceded, with Mathare United having conceded 12 and Ulinzi 10. This situation will likely change when the two come head-to-head on Saturday, July 2nd, 2016.

Mathare United have struggled in recent seasons, even flirting with relegation once or twice. They finished in 9th position last season, having drawn half of their matches and after winning only eight out of 30. However, after bringing back prodigal sons Francis Kimanzi and Salim Ali as head coach and assistant coach respectively, the team seems to have rediscovered its groove and they are genuine title contenders once again, seeking to win their second premier league title. The last and only one was won in 2008 when coach Kimanzi was at the helm for his first stint.

The team did not end the first round strongly though, with four draws, a loss and only one win probably bringing back memories of last season's under-achievement. However, the fact that the Slum Boys secured seven victories out of 15 played in the first round - as many as they could manage the entire season in 2015 - is clear evidence that, barring a calamity, this will be a bright harvest season for Mathare.

On their part, Ulinzi might have a feeling of hard luck as the premier league resumes, having to travel for the first match of round two to Nairobi to face the team that gave them a 2-0 beating in their own backyard of Nakuru.

Ulinzi Stars ended their first round of the 2016 season the same way they started it, with a draw. However, it was only one of the two draws registered by the club in a productive period that brought in five wins and only one loss in the club's final eight matches. The loss is one of their only two suffered in round one and was inflicted by Mathare United (the other lose coming a week earlier away to Posta Rangers. They will have to be on total guard to prevent Mathare from doing a double on them.

In the last nine matches between the teams, each has won three times and shared the spoils in the three others. Interestingly these teams seem to enjoy playing away to each other. Three of Mathare's victories and Ulinzi's two have come when they were playing each other away. Saturday's encounter might produce similar results, if not a draw.

Sofapaka in search of a halt to rotten form against Western Stima

Sofapaka have found themselves in unfamiliar territory in the Sportpesa Premier League this season, returning to action in the second round of the league in last position with a measly seven points. Three of the seven were won at home on day one against Ushuru. Another win followed ages later away to fellow strugglers Nairobi City Stars and for the only time this season they followed that with a draw against another struggling team - Thika United.

With 12 losses out of fifteen, one wonders whether Batoto Ba Mungu's tenure in the top flight will come to an end this year after excellent performances that started with a premier league championship in their promotion season. Whatever the case, Western Stima will not walk onto the field against them with too many worries.

Having said that, Western Stima's season is not much better considering their standing in Kenya's premier league football. The club from Western Kenya won only four matches out of the 15 played in the first round of the SPL. Maybe as an encouragement to Sofapaka, all these wins came at Western Stima's homegound of Bukhungu Stadium. Drawing matches could be considered another of Western Stima's defining features in the first round of the league. The club drew seven matches out of 15, a record only shared by Poster Rangers.

The two clubs have faced each other nine times, sharing the spoils on all fronts. They have each beaten the other three times and drew on the other three occasions. In this latest installment of encounters, the clubs are likely to play out another stalemate.

Homeboyz face Bandari seeking to entrench top ten credentials

In the last eight matches played before the Sportpesa Premier League took a break, Kakamega Homeboyz recorded four wins, one draw, and three losses.  Three of the club's wins came at home and three of the victories were against releation candidates Thika United, Nairobi City Stars, and Sofapaka.

On Saturday, July 2, 2016, the club from Western Kenya will come up against Bandari, this coming off the back drop of a draw against Ulinzi FC in their final match before the league break. Considering that it is a promoted team, Homeboyz should be commended for finding themselves a place amongst the league's top ten teams and on the basis of their performances so far, they have what it takes to remain there when the final whistle of the season is blown.

Bandari FC returned to the top flight with a storm, winning three and drawing three of their first seven matches of the season to find themselves amongst the early league leaders. However their performances in their final eight matches before the league took a break indicated a clear loss of form and they must have celebrated the arrival of the break. In their last eight matches, Bandari have won only one match (away to Ushuru). they have lost four (three at home) and drew three (two at home). They are clearly a team who found the tough going in their own coastal backyard.

Bandari's consolation is that their next opponents have one of the worst defence records in the league but he flip side is that Home boys have performed fairly well at home, winning three and losing only one of their last four home matches.

The teams have met three times previously, with Bandari boasting a 3-0 head-to-head record. This match has potential of ending in a draw but Bandari might just nick a win here and maintain their unbeaten record against Kakamega Homeboyz.

Sony Sugar look set to continue strong recovery away to Ushuru

Ushuru and Sony Sugar will both be looking for a win to lift them up the Sportpesa League Table when Kenya's premier league football action resumes on Saturday, July 2, 2016.

After a slow start to the season, Sony Sugar entered a strong period that saw the club recording an impressive five wins, one draw and two losses in the final eight matches before the Sportpesa Premier League took a break. The two losses were registered away to table toppers Gor Mahia FC and Mathare United, with the draw coming away to league leaders Tusker FC.

Clearly, they are a club that have regained their form and their climbing to ninth position is testimony of this fact. Their opponents for the sixteenth round of SPL matches, Ushuru, are only two points behind on 17 but currently in danger of slipping into the relegation zone. In their last eight matches, Ushuru have won two (away to Western Stima and at home to Homeboyz), drawn three and lost three, with two of the draws coming against powerhouses Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards.

Sony Sugar's away form has been poor, losing three, drawing three, and winning only one of their last seven away premier league matches. Ushuru, on their part have been stronger away from home. Only one of their four wins came at home, and four of their six losses were registered at home. Two of their seven home matches so far have ended in a stalemate.

The two clubs have met five times, with Sony Sugar winning three times and Ushuru winning the other two match ups. There have been no draws so far between the clubs. As things stand now, Sony Sugar will most likely win this tie.

Lessons from Harambee Star's win over Congo

After torturing Kenyan football fans for what has seemed like eternity, Harambee Stars yesterday finally put together a decent performance to beat Congo 2-1 in what was, unfortunately, a dead rubber encounter. For even with the victory, Kenya still remain rooted to the bottom of Afcon qualifiers group E with four points, a whole six points behind surprise group leaders and already qualified Guinea Bissau.

Long before the referee blew the whistle to kick off the Kenya-Congo tie, Harambee Stars' hopes of making it to Afcon 2017 in Gabon had been extinguished thanks to displays of mediocre football that left Kenya clutching to a single point after drawing 1-1 with Congo and enduring a three match loosing streak against Zambia (1-2) and Guinea Bissau (1-0; 0-1).

It is ridiculous that Guinea Bissau qualified for Afcon 2017 courtesy of the six points they snatched from Kenya. If we got just four of those points, we would be sitting a top group E, still firmly in contention for Cabon 2017. Instead, the underdogs from West Africa have benefitted from Kenya's generosity, in the process eliminating initial favourites Zambia and Congo.

So how did we finally manage to secure a victory after hundreds of football minutes of trying? It is interesting that Kenya's two goals (Ayub Timbe's equaliser and Eric Johanna's beautiful strike) came via lightning counter-attacking moves. It helped that Congo were themselves under pressure to attack Kenya to ensure they took the Afcon qualification battle to the final day in Brazzaville against Guinea Bissau.

Still, we have watched over and over as Kenya launched counter-attacks that died even before the ball had reached the centre of the field. What has been more familiar with Kenya's football in recent matches has been a bunch of 11 tippy-tappy individuals moving the ball around, as if wondering where the hell the opponent's goal posts had disappeared to.

Kenya's poverty in attacking football was still evident yesterday, considering that striker Olunga hardly had any meaningful strike on goal throughout the match. The difference this time round was that two counter-attacks were executed successfully, resulting in goals that won Kenya the tie.

Coach Stanley Okumbi and his technical staff should build on this win by ensuring that Kenya's rediscovered counter-attacking effectiveness is nurtured and employed more in the national team's football encounters.

Aside from the well-deserved victory, it was pleasant to witness an injection of new blood into the team in the form of promising Gor Mahia left back Eric 'Marcelo' Omondi and Spain-born Ismail Gonzales of CD Las Palmas. Omondi was especially exciting to watch and Gonzales showed flashes of brilliance and he could prove to be a mid-field gem for Kenya in future. More effort should be made to expand the talent-pool for the national team so that competition and depth can be guaranteed in the team.

From the border town of Isibania emerges a beautiful story of the beautiful game -Isibania FC

In mordern football, when we want to talk about real big football clubs, the choices are easy and obvious - Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich...those kinds of clubs.

On the pages of this blog, I have talked now and again about the giants of Kenyan football: Gor Mahia FC, AFC Leopards, Tusker FC, Mathare United, Ulinzi Stars, and Sofapaka.

The club I have never written about here, and so proudly do so today, is a little community club that shares a lot in common with me. I have yearned for when a football club from my home town would contest with the big boys and embarrass them. Now, it appears, my dream might come true soon.

If Isibania FC manage to sustain the momentum that has driven them to the summit of the Football Kenya Federation's Division One League Zone B standings, then in a matter of months, the huge army of Kogalo followers might find themselves making the long trip to the border town of Isibania to face my home town team.

Isibania is a small but vibrant border town at the south western tip of Kenya and is the gateway into the North Western and Western regions of Tanzania. You have to pass through Isibania to access the Tanzanian towns of Mwanza, Bukoba, Shinyanga and Musoma.

As an ardent football fan, am waiting to capture the making of history when this little football club, formed only a few years ago, starts receiving the giants of Kenyan football and, hopefully, teaching them a few football lessons.