Leopards visit bogey side Chemelil Sugar

Coach Rodolfo Zapata is hopeful of masterminding a win against AFC Leopards’ bogey taem Chemelil Sugar in Kisumu this weekend, but the tough task that awaits the 13-time Kenyan champions is not lost in the Argentine.

In the highlight of the other seven Kenyan Premier League games lined up this weekend, Mathare United will be out to defeat a struggling Kariobangi Sharks and rise to joint top with an absent Gor Mahia at the summit of the table standings. 
Elsewhere, Tusker, now coached by the no-nonsense Robert Matano,  are in Mombasa to play a resurgent Bandari, Ulinzi play Nzoia at Sudi Stadium in Bungoma, while newly-promoted Vihiga United entertain Sofapaka at Mumias Sports Complex. 

Back to the lakeside, Leopards will be seeking their first win in six outings against a stubborn opponent, and Zapata, who joined the club from Botswana’s Gaborone United last week, admits his first assignment is to to fix a defence that is leaking goals at an alarming rate.

“My feeling is that the lads are currently short of confidence,” said Zapata. “I am trying out a few things in training and if we can transfer this methodology to the pitch tomorrow (Saturday) we will achieve our target.”

Like Gor, Leopards have scored 24 times this season, but their backline has leaked in 22 goals in 13 games, 13 more than Gor.

Elsewhere, Ulinzi’s Masita Masuta is hopeful of lining up against his old teammates at Nzoia despite nursing a thigh injury. 

The former Muhoroni Youth player top scored for Bernard Mwalala’s side last season with 11 goals but thereafter dumped the sugar millers for the army side in a divorce that turned messy. 

“This is one of the most important games I was looking forward to this season and I hope I can get to play a part,” said the forward, who has so far bagged five goals this term.

Mwalala, a former striker at Nzoia and Harambee Stars in his hey day has since moved on, acquiring Elvis Rupiah who leads the current scoring charts with 11 goals.

In Mombasa, Matano will be eyeing win number three in as many matches since rejoining Tusker late last month.

“They (Bandari) have impressed me the most this season, especially with their consistency. Whoever wins this match will have to work very hard and I’m hoping that will be us,” said Matano.

Bandari are third with 22 points whilst Tusker are ranked 12th, six points adrift of the dockers.