Mount Kenya United head coach Melis Medo passes on instruction to his players during their Kenyan premier League clash against Western Stima at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on May 1, 2019. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 10 – Heading into the home stretch of the 2018/2019 Kenyan Premier League five teams are squaring it out to avoid the dreaded three relegation spits, two of them automatic while one is subject of a play-off.
Mount Kenya United (18), Zoo Kericho (22), Vihiga United (24), Chemelil Sugar (29) and Posta Rangers (29) all face a battle to remain in the top tier and the final four rounds of matches will be crucial in determining who goes down and who remains.
Capital Sports makes an analysis on the five and who stands the biggest danger of tightening the hangman’s noose round their necks.
- Posta Rangers (29)
Posta Rangers head coach John Kamau shouts instruction to his players during their Kenyan premier League match against Sofapaka at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on May 1. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
The mailmen find themselves in another relegation battle just like last season when they avoided the dirty waters on the last day of the season. This time though, they look better placed as they are nine points away from the bottom placed Mount Kenya and seven away from 17th placed Zoo.
They have five rounds of matches left and to guarantee themselves safety, they will need to win at least three of those five games to ensure they remain in the top tier.
Posta did themselves a world of favor in midweek winning 1-0 against Ulinzi Stars, banishing a three match winless run to hand themselves a massive boost.
The mailmen face fellow relegation fighters Vihiga United in Machakos on Sunday and earning points in this tie will be massive as far as their survival is concerned.
A win will see them move to 32 points, eight ahead of Vihiga who are in the play-off 16th slot. This will mean that with four matches to go, two more wins will guarantee them safety.
“I as Kamau I am not worried about relegation. I know my strength and I know the strength of the team. It is just a matter of instilling the confidence in the team and we will rise,” Kamau said.
After Vihiga, Posta play Homeboyz (H), Western Stima (A), Gor Mahia (H) and Tusker (A), matches that are definitely tough to crack noting three of the teams occupy the top five slots in the standings.
- Chemelil Sugar (29)
Chemelil Sugar coach Francis Baraza (Second right) on the bench during a past match PHOTO/TIMOTHY OLOBULU
Francis Baraza’s Sugar Millers are tied on points with the mailmen but carry with them an inferior goal difference. But, they find themselves needing a similar kind of miracle. They lost 0-2 to champions Gor Mahia in midweek to see their battle deflated.
However, they are unengaged this weekend but will travel to Mombasa to take on Bandari next Tuesday to keep their survival hopes alive. Fate, just like Posta, is right in their hands.
However, they face a tough run of matches. After Bandari, they will play Ulinzi Stars (H), Sofapaka (A), Mathare United (H) and Chemelil Sugar (H).
“We have a very young squad and most of them are playing in the league for the first time ever. But I am confident we can manage and pull ourselves out of this slot,” Baraza stated.
- Vihiga United (24)
The Vihiga United squad that started their first ever Kenyan Premier League match against Mathare United on February 4, 2018 at the Bukhungu Stadium. PHOTO/Mathare United
Vihiga lured the services of coach Sammy Okoth from Zoo Kericho to join them in Western Kenya and they hope the tactician can engineer a route out of the drop zone despite being five points away from safety.
Of 29 matches, Vihiga have won only four matches, a hugely terrible return and one that puts them hugely in danger of seeing their heads paraded on the chopping board either in the automatic slots or in the play-off zone.
Last season, they avoided finishing in this same position after winning their last day fixture against Mount Kenya United (then Nakumatt).
Fate is out of their hands and will need favors to avoid dropping while also hoping they keep winning their matches. The match against Posta Rangers on Sunday will most specifically bear huge implications in their journey to survive.
After Posta, they play Tusker (H), Gor Mahia (A), Western Stima (H) and Kariobangi Sharks (A). Vihiga are two points off Zoo in the automatic drop slots and any loss coupled with a Zoo Kericho win will be detrimental to their hopes of earning another season in top flight football.
- Zoo Kericho (22)
Former Gor Mahia striker Ephraim Guikan tries to go past a forest of legs during his side’s 4-0 win over Zoo Kericho at the Kasarani Stadium on December 12, 2018. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
With four wins this season, Zoo, alongside Vihiga rank as the league’s lowest winning teams.
Stand-in coach Herman Iswekha has put an ambitious target for the Kericho based side to win at least four of their remaining six games in order to survive. This is a huge task bearing the kind of opposition that awaits them in the home stretch.
“I have no doubt that we have the ability to survive. It is a mission that is possible and we need to continue believing. The task is tough but we can do it,” Iswekha said after his side came from behind to pick a point against AFC Leopards in midweek.
However, one thing that keeps their hopes alive is the fact that they have played a match less than the boys ahead of them.
This weekend, they are at home against Ulinzi Stars before welcoming Western Stima at the same venue next Wednesday. They then face back to back away trips to Mombasa (Bandari) and Nairobi (Tusker) before playint at home against Homeboyz and finishing the season away to KCB.
Four wins from these six remaining gams will put their tally at 40 points and will most definitely assure them of surviving. However, this looks like a tough call as after 28 games is when they have won four.
What has hurt Zoo most this season was losing three of their key players (Nicholas Kipkurui, Mike Madoya and Isaac Kipyegon) and to add insult to injury, their long serving coach who has been with them since their promotion, Sammy Okoth, decamped to Vihiga.
- Mount Kenya United (18)
Mount Kenya United defender Amani Kyatta tackles AFC Leopards’ Jaffary Owiti during their Kenyan premier League clash at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on February 6, 2019. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
They have won five games this campaign and the more the season progresses, the more it looks likely they will not be enjoying the echelons of top-flight football next season. Mount Kenya have won only twice in 14 games and at one point of the season lost seven in a row, conceding six in three of the seven.
Mount Kenya who have been dogged by financial woes even gave a walk over to leaders Gor Mahia while protesting lack of pay and head coach Melis Medo has said that is the exact same reason they have not performed this term.
“It is hard because when you have these problems dragging in the entire season, it is hard. It is hard to motivate these players without five, six months salary. But we will never give up; I don’t give up. We will fight till the end,” Medo stated.
With six points separating them and the play-off slot, losing the next three games will guarantee them relegation. Losing the next two will mean they at least have to tackle the play-off, a scenario they found themselves in last season and won.
They play Mathare United at Kasarani on Sunday before back to back matches against Sony Sugar and AFC Leopards in Machakos. They finish the season on the road against kariobangi Sharks and Ulinzi Stars.
