Top flight newcomers Bidco United will on Thursday 17 December host Nairobi City Stars at Utalii Grounds in a fourth round FKF Premier League tie starting at 3pm.
The upcoming match is historic as the two teams have never faced off in the Premier League. The closest it has been is during a preseason friendly game in Thika, in preparation for the current 2020/21 season. It ended 1-1.
Eyes on the ball for City Stars forward Vincent Jamaica Otieno against Bidco United at Thika Stadium on Sat 7 Nov 2020. The game ended 1-1
Bidco and City Stars are familiar foes having contested the second tier – National Super League (NSL) – in the past four seasons.
After failing to navigate out of the NSL in recent years, the two sides finally earned automatic promotions in 2020. Bidco were City Stars accompaniment to the premier league having finished second on the log behind the champions.
While City Stars made a return to the Premier League after four seasons, Bidco up-scaled to the topmost league for the first time ever.
Into the Utalii meet, Bidco carries a record of two premier league draws (Western Stima 0-0, Kariobangi Sharks 2-2) and a loss (AFC Leopards 2-0) as City Stars has two wins (Nzoia Sugar 2-0, Bandari 2-0) and a loss (KCB 1-0).
Though they have never met in the Premier League level, games in the recent past in the second tier will be the spur at Utalii as the records are fully applicable. They shall be meeting for a fifth straight season.
In the fourth round of Super League games last season, City Stars ended Bidco’s three match winning streak with a 1-0 win in Thika and turned around a 1-0 first half goal to a 2-1 win in the reverse game at Camp Toyoyo to complete a season double to consolidate top spot.
In whole, across four seasons in the Super League, City Stars faced off with Bidco United eight times winning three, sharing the spoils as many times and losing twice.
In four away games to Bidco United, Simba wa Nairobi has only managed one win, two draws and one loss.
For the upcoming game, there shall be no coaching changes from either side as, Sanjin Alagic, the mastermind of the double win last season is still in charge at City Stars while Anthony Viera Akhulia is still the man at the helm for Bidco.
The Utalii ground is new to both teams as the previous encounters have been played across three surfaces; Thika Stadium (4 games), Camp Toyoyo (3) and Hope Centre (1)
Who will win this one? Stay tuned for the full updates on our social media pages.
Previous games
27-May-17: Bidco United vs City Stars, 0-0
1-Nov-17: City Stars vs Bidco United, 0-2
8-Apr-18: Bidco United vs City Stars, 3-1
1-Sep-18: City Stars vs Bidco United, 1-0
19-Dec-18: Bidco United vs City Stars, 1-1
28-Mar-19: City Stars vs Bidco United, 0-0
18-Sep-19: Bidco United vs City Stars, 0-1
2-Feb-20: City Stars vs Bidco United, 2-1
7-Nov-20: Bidco United vs City Stars, 1-1 (preseason friendly)
Summary
KPL games: None
NSL games – 8: City Stars (3 wins), Bidco United (2 wins), Draws-3
Away games – 4: Bidco United (1 win), Draws (2), City Stars (1 Win)
Bidco 0 Nairobi City Stars 1 @ Thika Stadium on Wed 18 Sept 2019
LEft back Herit Mungai (no. 28) goes for the ball in City Stars game vs Bidco United on Sat 7 Nov 2020 at Thika Stadium. The game ended 1-1