Stuttering Gor Mahia welcome Chemelil, Leopards face Bandari

Champions Gor Mahia welcome Chemelil Sugar at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday as the Kenyan Premier League returns after a two-week break.

At the Mbaraki Sports Club, stuttering AFC Leopards begin life without head coach Ivan Minnaert with a tricky tie against domestic cup holders Bandari as Mathare United take their title push to Awendo for a match against Sony Sugar.

Leaders Tusker tackle Ushuru in a late kick off match at Nyayo Stadium shortly after relegation-threatened Nairobi City Stars battle Western Stima at the same venue on Sunday.

Gor, chasing their first win in four league matches, tackle an improving Chemelil Sugar side which won their four league games last month.

The run saw Chemelil coach Francis Baraza win the Fidelity Insurance Coach of the Month Award for August.

The former Western Stima coach told Saturday Nation Sport that his charges are ready to take the battle to the champions as they seek to return to the sugar belt with the three points.

“Gor Mahia are champions. That is how I have always regarded them. That means that I respect them, but not that I fear them. I am coming to Nairobi to collect three points. We shall be daring and try getting an early goal,” he said.

The same cannot be said of his Gor Mahia counterpart Brazilian coach Marcelo Ferreira who is under immense pressure to turn around the champions’ stuttering season.

Ferreira will have to decide on whom to start at right-back between Wellington Ochieng and Luke Ochieng with Burundian defender Karim Nizigiyimana suspended for the tie.

Lead striker Jacques Tuyisenge has been dropped his early season which has seen the champions fail to score in three of their last four matches.

Kenyan international defender Eric “Marcelo” Ouma however remains optimistic they will turn around the poor run starting with today’s match.

“We have trained with the team all week and I think that we are ready. It is difficult to predict the outcome of the match because so many other factors count in a game of football, but I can say that we shall give our best and we definitely will not let the fans down,” Ouma said.

AFC Leopards head to Mombasa today with Ezekiel Akwana in charge on an interim basis after the sacking of Belgian Minnaert last week over a string of poor performances.

The match between Tusker and Ushuru will wrap up the weekend action with the brewers eager to pick from where they left before the international break.

Ulinzi Stars assistant coach Benjamin Nyangweso will take the coaching responsibilities once more as the soldiers line up against relegation-threatened Sofapaka at their Afraha Stadium grounds on Sunday.

FIXTURES

Saturday

Bandari v AFC Leopards (Mbaraki Sports Club, 3pm)

Muhoroni Youth v KK Homeboyz (Muhoroni, 3pm)

Gor Mahia v Chemelil Sugar (Nyayo Stadium, 3pm)

Sunday

City Stars v Western Stima (Nyayo Stadium, 2pm)

Ulinzi Stars v Sofapaka (Afraha Stadium, 3pm)

SonySugar v Mathare United (Awendo Green, 3pm)

Posta Rangers v Thika United (Ruaraka, 3pm)

Ushuru v Tusker (Nyayo Stadium, 4.15pm)