Sofapaka host Muhoroni in push to avoid the axe

Sofapaka’s future as far as next season’s Kenyan Premier League will be known Friday afternoon when they host Muhoroni Youth at Ruaraka grounds in Nairobi.

The 2009 league champions have collected just 0.61 points per game this term and sit at the base of the standings having won just four of their 26 games so far.

Should Sofapaka lose Friday’s match and 14th-placed Ushuru beat Thika United on Sunday, Batoto ba Mungu will be effectively relegated as that will leave them 11 points shy of Ken Kenyatta's charges with only three games left to end of the season.

The Batoto ba Mungu are winless in four consecutive games and look vulnerable against their opponents who just won the KPL Top Eight tournament five days ago.

Friday’s match is evenly-poised but Sofapaka will miss the services of coach David Ouma who is busy preparing the national women’s team for Saturday’s friendly match against visiting Cameroon.

His assistant John Baraza told Daily Nation Sport that his team has performed to their level best and that the players should not be blamed should they lose.

“These players have sacrificed a lot to just be here. Everyone knows the challenges the team has faced this season, but the players have endured it all, yet they still managed to get to this point of the season,” he said. 

“It is unfair to talk about relegation as though it was something they deliberately chose. We all want to be here next season and we shall continue fighting until the last match,” he said.

Sofapaka have endured what is their worst season since joining the top flight in 2009, and now find themselves needing to win all their remaining matches to survive relegation.

Their downward trend has been attributed mainly to the absence of chairman Elly Mbone Kalekwa who just returned this June after a yearlong sabbatical from the club.

In his absence, the club was plunged into a serious financial crisis which saw key players led by Ugandan coach Sam Timbe exit the club.

They will face a Muhoroni Youth side that is still basking in their 1-0 victory on Sunday that saw them win the KPL Top 8 tournament for the first time in history.
The millers won the first leg contest 1-0 at their Muhoroni backyard, and are well motivated to achieve a double on Batoto ba Mungu.

Sofapaka will rely on the strength of their experienced midseason signings such as Noah Abich, Eric Ochieng and Moses Odhiambo.