Football
Relief for Leopards as they escape the chop
Sony defender Kayamba Dodo tackles Dennis Mukaisi of AFC Leopards during their Kenyan Premier League match at the Nyayo Stadium on Sunday. They drew 0-0 ensuring Leopards’ survival in the top league. Photo/MOHAMMED AMIN
With two matches against Chemilil and AFC Leopards, which are unlikely to yield much for them, Agrochemicals looked doomed to be relegated.
Henry Omino may rail against careless talk but the gloom will have permeated every corridor in Muhoroni. Nothing consumes a football club quite like the imminent possibility of going down.
“There’s nothing as bad as being relegated. Any team would wish to be accommodated in the premier league, but again, at the end of the season, two teams must be promoted and two more must be dropped,” noted Leopards’ coach, Nick Yakhama.
Red Berets have been as good as down for the last four months, with only six wins all season.
As it stands, any one ofthe three bottom clubs can be demoted.
Bandari, Coast’s only team in the premier league need three points from Agro and one more from their last match against Mathare United to survive.
Since May, Red Berets have not looked good enough to stay up. The Nakuru-based side had a woeful start to the year, spending on below-par players, and as a result, having a slapdash outfit.
Seemingly doomed to relegation just two months ago, Leopards turned round their season and survived the chop 90 minutes to the end of the season with a 0-0 draw with Sony Sugar on Sunday.
The team will have another season in top flight football and a great opportunity to rebuild into a confident team. Berets, Bandari and Agro will look at their remaining fixture believing that they can survive.
But with Bandari facing a side with nothing to play for, the edge has to be with them.
RSS