Title hopefuls Orange, Strathmore renew rivalry at City Park

A bruising battle is expected when women’s national hockey league champions Telkom Orange take on arch-rivals Strathmore University Scorpions in a top-of-the-table clash Saturday afternoon at City Park Stadium.

The mouth-watering clash is one of nine Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) league matches lined up this weekend in Nairobi, four in the women's league and five in the men's league.

Orange are on a roll, winning their opening five matches where they have scored 48 goals and are yet to concede any goal as they chase a record 18th league crown while Strathmore have not been as clinical but remain two points behind the league leaders and are also unbeaten.

The two teams have already met once this season with Orange recording a resounding 4-0 win over their rivals to lift the Vaisakhi tournament in April.

Orange coach Jos Openda however believes a lot has changed since that game and expects Strathmore to put up an improved performance.

“They (Strathmore) are our biggest challengers for the title and will therefore push us but we are ready for them,” Openda told Nation Sport.

“I believe it will be a top match from two quality sides fighting for the three points.”

Strathmore coach Meshack Senge however sees the fixture as just another game for his charges and urged his players to turn out better than they did during their last encounter.

Senge will be without the influential quartet of Laura Gichau, Doreen Hongo, former Orange player Margaret Rotich and Pauline Naise.

“These are game changing players and it is a blow that they won’t be there but I have confidence that the rest of the squad can get the job done,” the tactician said. In the absence of Rotich, last season’s top scorer Gilly Okumu and Linda Ayodi are expected to lead the university side’s attack.

In the men’s premier league, defending champions Butali Sugar Warriors will be looking to move six points clear at the top with victory in their two weekend matches.
They face United States International University Africa (USIU A) Saturday evening and Kenyatta University on Sunday.

Warriors and second-placed Kenya Police are both on 21 points, but the former sit at the summit owing to their superior goal difference.

“We cannot afford any other slip up, Police gave us a second chance when they lost and we will not throw it away,” Warriors coach Cliffe Okello said.

In other matches, Greensharks welcome Nakuru Hockey Club while Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture (JKUAT) take on National Youth Service (NYS) in the men’s national league.

FIXTURES

Saturday

National women: Vikings v JKUAT – 12pm, Orange v Strathmore – 2pm

Premier men: Greensharks v Nakuru – 4pm, USIU A v Butali - 6pm

Sunday

National men: JKUAT v NYS - 9am

Premier men: KU v Butali – 11am, USIU A v Nakuru – 1pm

National women: USIU A v Kenyatta – 3pm, JKUAT v MKU - 5pm