Polack demands more from Gor strikers as Stima loom
What you need to know:
- Gor, who are chasing unprecedented 19th league crown, sit atop the table on 48 points after 21 rounds of matches.
- Second-placed Kakamega Homeboyz, who are seeking their first league title, have amassed 44 points after 21 matches.
Champions Gor Mahia will be out to cement their lead in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) when they face Western Stima at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Saturday.
Gor, who are chasing unprecedented 19th league crown, sit atop the table on 48 points after 21 rounds of matches. Second-placed Kakamega Homeboyz, who are seeking their first league title, have amassed 44 points after 21 matches.
Gor survived an early scare last weekend before Samuel Onyango scored at death to guide them to a 3-2 victory over Zoo at the Green Stadium in Kericho.
The Western Stima fixture is a tricky one for the champions, as the power men who are ranked seventh on the table are seeking to bring to a halt a poor run of six winless matches.
In the first leg encounter at Moi Stadium in Kisumu on February 12, the two teams drew 1-1.
Gor Mahia head coach Steven Polack has called on his strikers to be clinical in front of goal to avoid last minute struggles like it happened against Zoo.
“I expect the strikers to utilise their chances to avoid pressure of staging a comeback like in the past two games. A win is a win and any player can score but we need to kill the game early enough to ease the pressure in the dying minutes,” said Polack.
Homeboyz, who have made clear their intention to bring to a halt K’Ogalo’s dominance in the KPL, welcome Nzoia Sugar in a western derby at Bukhungu Stadium on Sunday.
The Kakamega based side thrashed Chemelil Sugar 6-0 in what was their biggest win this season last weekend.
Homeboyz coach Nicholas Muyoti said while he expects a tough match, the team should bag maximum points to remain in the race to win this season’s title.
“We expect a tough match being that it is a derby. But we will do everything possible to get the three points," said, Muyoti who was named the league's best manager in January.
Third-placed Tusker, who have a game in hand, visit Kisumu All Stars at Moi stadium in Kisumu on Saturday.
AFC Leopards will be looking to clock 40 points when they take on Chemelil Sugar at Green Stadium on Sunday.
Despite facing a biting financial crisis, which saw them lose their coach Casa Mbugo in December, Ingwe have maintained a good form and are ranked sixth on 37 points.
FIXTURES
Saturday
Sofapaka v Ulinzi Stars – Machakos – 3pm
Gor Mahia v Western Stima – Kasarani – 3pm
Kisumu AllStars v Tusker – Kisumu – 3pm
Chemelil Sugar v AFC Leopards – Kericho – 3pm
Sunday
Kakamega Homeboyz v Nzoia Sugar – Bukhungu – 3pm
Posta Rangers v Mathare United – Narok – 2pm
Wazito v Zoo – Machakos – 1pm
KCB v Bandari – Machakos – 3pm
