Nowhere to hide for City as Sony wait

What you need to know:

  • They are in the relegation zone and fighting for their very survival in Kenya’s top most football league.
  • Delayed payment of salaries and allowances occasioned by lack of sponsors has dogged the Nairobi club all season and the results have been unpalatable for their followers.

This year’s Kenyan Premier League has arguably been Nairobi City Stars’ toughest.

They are in the relegation zone and fighting for their very survival in Kenya’s top most football league.

At that is not the only front they are battling. Finances at the Kawangware-based outfit have been scarce and meeting their obligations a constant challenge.

They will have to forget their miseries – at least for today – when they battle a Sony Sugar side that has been a hard  nut to crack at their Awendo Green Stadium.

When the season began City Stars, had Nigerian Robinson Ofwoku in charge. But he jumped ship under unclear circumstances with club chairman Peter Jabuya saying that their working relationship had become “untenable” owing to the financial obligations involved.

So out he went and in came youthful Briton Tim Brytte who chose to work pro bono.

But even with the new tactician, things never looked up for the City team. The Briton, like his predecessor zoomed out and, in an ironical twist, the former returned.

DELAYED PAYMENT

Delayed payment of salaries and allowances occasioned by lack of sponsors has dogged the Nairobi club all season and the results have been unpalatable for their followers.

From 26 matches, they have registered just three wins, 11 draws and 12 losses to accumulate a paltry 20 points  out of a possible 78.

This dismal run has condemned them to the relegation zone where they sit four points above rock-bottom placed Nakuru AllStars.

With just four matches to go, they must conjure a win in Awendo if they are to tilt their odds of falling.

Though Ofwoku has lost the enterprise of Bruno Sserunkuma and the goal-poaching skills of Jimmy Bageya – both of whom decamped to Bandari - he must devise a formula of earning three points at the tough hunting ground that is Awendo.