Terrible playing surfaces mar weekend’s league action
What you need to know:
- When Tusker, Zoo Kericho, Thika United and Sofapaka players entered the modest Thika Municipal Stadium for their fourth round of SportPesa Premier League matches last Sunday, their biggest concern wasn’t the impending rains, or even a possible defeat.
- It was the stadium’s worn and weary playing surface.
- The four sets of players were forced to do battle at the treacherous, damp, soft pitch in Thika where a political rally held two days earlier had worsened the situation at the already bumpy field.
When Tusker, Zoo Kericho, Thika United and Sofapaka players entered the modest Thika Municipal Stadium for their fourth round of SportPesa Premier League matches last Sunday, their biggest concern wasn’t the impending rains, or even a possible defeat.
It was the stadium’s worn and weary playing surface.
The four sets of players were forced to do battle at the treacherous, damp, soft pitch in Thika where a political rally held two days earlier had worsened the situation at the already bumpy field.
League defending champions Tusker drew 2-2 with 2009 winners Sofapaka in the first match, while home team Thika United defeated Zoo Kericho 1-0 in the subsequent game.
Despite their individual enmities, coaches of both teams were united in the disappointment that they could not execute their strategies effectively during the match.
Tusker coach George “Best” Nsimbe told Nation Sport that due to the condition of the pitch, it was impossible to play good football.
VERY CAUTIOUS
“It is quite slippery even just by the look of it and today we had to be very cautious. Next time when we get a good pitch then we can afford to play without restrictions but for today we couldn’t.
“It is not just my team, I have noticed even the opponent was struggling with tactic because it is impossible to play possession football in such a pitch,” he said.
Tusker and Sofapaka had been the first teams to engage each other at Thika but even before they took to the pitch, the playing surface looked frighteningly soggy, uneven and slippery.
By half time, the sparsely distributed mounds of grass had all been submerged, and in their place stood a mess of a loose soil that should be unfit even for children to play.
Sofapaka became direct beneficiaries of the murky grounds, as they went ahead just seconds into the match through Wanok Pate. The ball was been launched from the midfield where it bounced awkwardly once and then onto the feet of Pate who turned it home with one strike of his right foot.
Tusker, who beat Chemelil Sugar 1-0 in their previous game, now prepare for a tough test against Ulinzi Stars next weekend.
AFC Leopards lost their grip on the SPL summit on Sunday as they lost 2-0 to Chemelil Sugar at the Moi Stadium in Kisumu.
This was Ingwe’s first loss of the season and it sent them skidding from the summit of the log to their current sixth position, but only two points behind leaders Gor Mahia.
Gor Mahia returned to the helm following a much needed 1-0 win over Kakamega Homeboyz on Saturday in Nakuru.
SPL action will continue throughout this Easter weekend, with nine matches spread out between Friday and Monday next week.
