Champions-elect Tusker to be crowned at Nyayo
What you need to know:
Nyayo National Stadium will play host to Tusker’s coronation as Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions on Saturday.
The Paul Nkata-led team will receive the 12-kilogram beast of a trophy after their final home game against Gor Mahia in a brief and modest ceremony courtesy of league sponsors SportPesa.
Tusker will be only the second recipients of the beautiful trophy which was acquired just last year from Italy, and K’Ogalo players are expected to respectfully mount a guard of honour for the champions-elect as is custom.
Nyayo National Stadium will play host to Tusker’s coronation as Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions on Saturday.
The Paul Nkata-led team will receive the 12-kilogram beast of a trophy after their final home game against Gor Mahia in a brief and modest ceremony courtesy of league sponsors SportPesa.
Tusker will be only the second recipients of the beautiful trophy which was acquired just last year from Italy, and K’Ogalo players are expected to respectfully mount a guard of honour for the champions-elect as is custom.
Immediately after the match, Tusker players will be required to retreat to the changing room to change into their champions’ attires before they emerge to receive their medals and trophy.
A beautiful podium has been set up for this purpose, and a joint reconnaissance between SportPesa personnel and KPL representatives was conducted at the venue on Wednesday afternoon.
For the brewers, the festivities are bound to continue through the week, as East Africa Breweries Limited have organised a grand party to fete the 11-time champions at a city restaurant.
KPL Leagues and Competitions Administrator Michael Kirwa, told Daily Nation Sport that the event will be brief but colourful, adding that players will be allowed to take pictures with their fans and loved ones at the venue after the official ceremony.
Unlike last year when the trophy was presented by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, KPL has confirmed that no special guest has been invited to grace the event, and there will be no speeches on the material day.
“SportPesa are the event’s organisers but we have done the planning together and have gone through all the activities that should happen on Saturday, “he said.
“We have already acquired the trophy (from Gor Mahia) and we expect that everything will move on smoothly.”
Last year’s trophy handover was relatively calm and peaceful, but the same cannot be said of the 2014 and 2013 ceremonies.
The 2014 awards ceremony was meant to take place at the Moi Stadium, Kisumu, but never took off due to pitch invasion from the fans.
The story was the same in 2013 when K’Ogalo players dazzled spectators where they strutted inside the Safaricom Stadium, Kasarani in sleek limousines wearing grey imported suits.
Tusker won the league title on November 6 after defeating AFC Leopards 1-0 at the Afraha Stadium, Nakuru in their penultimate game of the season.
