On Saturday 17 July 2021, starting 3pm, Nairobi City Stars will host champions Gor Mahia at Ruaraka in a 26th round Betking Premier League game.
It will be Premier League game no. 24 between the two, but the 12th that Simba wa Nairobi will be hosting Gor Mahia, the first since March 2016.
From the previous 11 home encounters, Nairobi City Stars is yet to beat Gor Mahia, at least on the pitch.
The one and only home ‘win’ for City Stars against the reigning league champions was back in June 2006 when the hosts, then known as World Hope, were handed a walkover by a no-show Gor Mahia.
Of the other ten games, five have been draws and the other five have been won by Gor Mahia.
In the 11 home games, Gor Mahia has scored outscored Simba wa Nairobi 18 goals to eight.
For the upcoming game, there will be changes at the touchline as Portuguese coach Manuel Van Pinto who handled the first leg game for Gor has since left. His place will be taken up by his worthy assistant Sammy Pamzo Omolo.
City Stars still has Bosnian Sanjin Alagic who will be going for a take-two against Gor.
The Saturday game will be a historic one, as City Stars and Gor Mahia have never played a Premier League game at Ruaraka.
Into the game, Champions Gor Mahia sits fourth on the log with 39 points, three points ahead of sixth placed City Stars.
Who wins this one?
Summary
KPL Home games vs Gor by City Stars; Wins (1), Draws (5), Loses
11-Jun-06; World Hope vs Gor Mahia, 2-0 (W-walkover)
17-Nov-07; World Hope vs Gor Mahia, 2-2 (D)
22-Nov-08; World Hope vs Gor Mahia, 1-1 (D)
16-Aug-09; City Stars vs Gor Mahia, 0-1 (L)
14-Nov-10; City Stars vs Gor Mahia, 0-0 (D)
2-Nov-11; City Stars vs Gor Mahia, 0-1 (L)
21-Jul-12; City Stars vs Gor Mahia, 0-4 (L)
4-Aug-13; City Stars vs Gor Mahia, 0-0 (D)
4-Oct-14; City Stars vs Gor Mahia, 1-4 (L)
15-Apr-15; City Stars vs Gor Mahia, 0-3 (L)
12-Mar-16; City Stars vs Gor Mahia, 2-2 (D)
17-Jul-21; City Stars vs Gor Mahia, ??
Salim Abdalla on the ball as Nicholas Kipkirui and Kenedy Onyango look on during a round 17 clash against Champions Gor Mahia at the Utalii grounds on Sun 16 May 2021. Gor won 1-0Simba wa Nairobi’s Edwin Buliba clears the ball ahead of Gor Mahia’s Geoffrey Ochieng in a round 17 clash at the Utalii grounds on Sun 16 May 2021. Sven Yidah looks on. Gor won 1-0
Nairobi City Stars pair Sven Yidah and Oliver Maloba, defensive and attacking midfielders, respectively, made the final cut to be a part of the Kenya U23 squad headed out to Ethiopia for the CECAFA U23 Championships to be played between July 17, and August 1, 2021.
The two have been shaping up with the squad regularly for the past three weeks under head coach Stanley Okumbi and were confirmed in the final squad that jetted out on Tuesday.
The Kenya U23 squad – dubbed the Emerging Stars – will face off against Djibouti and South Sudan in Group C.
Group A is comprised of defending Champions Uganda, Tanzania, and DR Congo, while Group B will have hosts Ethiopia, Burundi, and Eritrea.
Emerging Stars will have their first match of the tournament against Djibouti on Monday, July 19, 2021.
The top teams in each of the three groups will proceed to the tournament’s semi-finals, alongside one best runners up.
Kenya U23 squad
Goalkeepers: Caleb Omondi (Gor Mahia), Brian Bwire (Kariobangi Sharks)
Defenders: Sylvester Owino (Kakamega Homeboyz), Bernard Ochieng (Wazito FC), Frank Odhiambo (Gor Maha), Lewis Bandi (AFC Leopards), Bonface Mwangemi (Kariobangi Sharks), Fredrick Alushula (Kariobangi Sharks), Brian Wepo (KCB FC).
Midfielders:Yidah Sven (Nairobi City Stars), Marvin Nabwire (AFC Leopards), Vincent Wasambo (KCB FC), Austine Odhiambo (AFC Leopards), Regean Otieno (KCB FC), Oliver Maloba (Nairobi City Stars), Josphat Lopaga (Posta Rangers), Steiner Musasia (Posta Rangers), John Njuguna (Ulinzi Stars), Boniface Muchiri (Tusker FC), David Odhiambo (Kakamega Homeboyz)
Forwards: Benson Ochieng (Gor Mahia), Henry Atola (Tusker), Alfred Tanui (Kisumu All Stars)
Complete Fixtures
Uganda vs DR Congo (Sunday, July 18, 2021, Ethiopia)
Ethiopia vs Eritrea (Sunday, July 18, 2021, Ethiopia) Djibouti vs Kenya (Monday, July 19, 2021, Ethiopia)
Burundi vs Eritrea (Wednesday, July 21, 2021, Ethiopia) South Sudan vs Kenya (Thursday, July 22, 2021, Ethiopia)
Tanzania vs DR Congo (Thursday, July 22, 2021, Ethiopia)
Ethiopia vs Burundi (Saturday, July 24, 2021, Ethiopia)
Djibouti vs South Sudan (Sunday, July 25, 2021, Ethiopia)
Uganda vs Tanzania (Sunday, July 25, 2021, Ethiopia)
Semifinals
Winner Group A vs Best runner up (Wednesday, July 28, 2021, Ethiopia)
Winner Group B vs Winner Group C (Wednesday, July 28, 2021, Ethiopia)
Finals
Third place Playoff (Friday, July 30, 2021, Ethiopia)
Final (Friday, July 30, 2021, Ethiopia)
Simba wa Nairobi grabbed their goals inside ten minutes through Nicholas Kipkirui and Bolton Omwenga then went on to negate Ulinzi for the rest of the game to keep a clean sheet.
— Betking Kenya Premier League (@Officialfkfpl) July 14, 2021
From the win, that ended two games of no triumph, City Stars was nominated in a class of four for the team of the week and came out tops.
It was the second such time that Simba wa Nairobi was named team of the week. The first was in late May after a clinical downing of Sofapaka 3-0 at Ruaraka.
— Betking Kenya Premier League (@Officialfkfpl) July 12, 2021
Notwithstanding, Simba wa Nairobi had two players; stopper Wycliffe Otieno and leftback Bolton Omwenga – named the man of the match – in the team of the week.
m Ulinzi Stars a 2-0 beating at the ASK Showground on Saturday.
Stopper Wycliffe Wiked Otieno and left-back Bolton Omwenga are the two Nairobi City Stars players that made it to the Betking Premier League first eleven at the close of Matchday 25 games played between Fri 9 and Sun 11 July 2021.
— Betking Kenya Premier League (@Officialfkfpl) July 12, 2021
Wiked, standing in for injured Salim Abdallah at the heart of defense for a second straight game, alongside Kenedy Onyango, was sturdy on Saturday aiding to a ninth clean sheet of the season.
Bolton was picked out as the man of the match at the close of the game after his impressive defensive display.
— Betking Kenya Premier League (@Officialfkfpl) July 10, 2021
He scored the second goal in the tenth minute, off a belter of a freekick from close to mid-pitch, his second goal of the season.
While it was the first time for Wiked to make the team of the week, it is the third time for Bolton who had been picked after a 3-0 rout of Sofapaka in matchday 18) and, 2-1 win over Western Stima in matchday 20.
He made the reserve team after a 2-0 win over Western Stima in February in Kisumu after only his second full game since joining City Stars.
Nairobi City Stars handed Ulinzi Stars a 2-0 defeat at the ASK Showground on Saturday 10 July 2021 in a round 25 Betking Premier League tie.
Goals by striker Nicholas Kipkirui and left-back Bolton Omwenga inside the first ten minutes handed Simba wa Nairobi their tenth win of the season to move up to sixth on the 17-team log with 36 points at the close of Saturday games.
Kipkirui, deployed on the left-wing for missing regular Davis Agesa, fired home from the left off a defensive blunder by Ulinzi to beat keeper Timothy Odhiambo – in for James Saruni – for the opening goal on six minutes.
And four minutes later City Stars had a freekick from 30 yards out. Bolton – later named MVP of the game for his defensive prowess – smacked it all the way home to double the lead.
— Betking Kenya Premier League (@Officialfkfpl) July 10, 2021
City Stars started the game with high pressure and inside four minutes had forced two corners.
In between the two goals, Ulinzi had ventured into the City Stars box only to have the ball cleared out of danger.
Though down, Ulinzi had all the chances to, at the very least, get a goal before the water break, or level the game. But near misses defined their evening.
On 12 minutes right-back Brian Birgen fired out a freekick from a good range. Four minutes later Ibrahim Shambi sent out an attempt from atop the box when he had a clear view of the goal.
A minute later Shambi had the miss of the season; he sneaked into the penalty area behind City Stars stoppers Kenedy Onyango and Wycliffe Otieno, chested down a perfect delivery from John Njuguna, only to turn and sky the ball when it was easier to beat Steve Njunge in goal.
That miss served up the tone of Ulinzi’s evening even though they ran at City Stars with more purpose in search of goals.
After the water break, John Kago had attempted a shot on goal before stopper Alex Masinde placed a wayward header off a corner earned from a Harun Mwale freekick.
A Shambi miss on 32 minutes was followed by two unaccounted freekicks by Birgen minutes later.
Six minutes to the breather Masita Masuta had a glorious chance to pull back a goal only to have his header off a Birgen freekick head out.
But as Ulinzi searched for the goal, City Stars could have tripled matters when speedy Oliver Maloba made a mad dash on the right wing, broke into the box, and squared the ball to Peter Opiyo whose shot was blocked for a fruitless corner.
An Ulinzi corner and long ranger from Bolton closed the first half.
— Betking Kenya Premier League (@Officialfkfpl) July 10, 2021
At the start of the second half, Ulinzi took out Shambi Ibrahim and Mark Bikokwa and brought on Elvis Nandwa and Enosh Ochieng, respectively.
But it’s Ulinzi that were on the back foot at the onset when a dangerous float from right-back Kevin Chumsy Okumu was headed just wide by Kipkirui.
Nine minutes in a fresh Enosh Ochieng broke into the box to receive a through ball only to be caught marginally offside.
At around the hour mark, Ulinzi added more firepower by bringing on Clinton Omondi and Omar Boraafya for Masita Masuta and John Njuguna.
City Stars responded with a like-for-like replacement of striker Erick Ombija for Ezekiel Odera.
Heading to the second water break Ulinzi could not account for a corner and freekick, and a ping pong in the box was headed out by Enosh Ochieng.
In the 73rd minute, City Stars defensive-mid Sven Yidah let fly a shot from outside the box after being put through with a neat cut-back by skipper Anthony Muki Kimani.
Ten minutes later Ulinzi’s Bernard Ongoma could have grabbed one for Ulinzi when he unleashed a belter only for the ball to echo off the corner of the goal sticks with Njunge well beaten.
But within the next three minutes it was all City Stars as new arrival Ombija controlled the ball twice and fired at goal but on both occasions was denied by keeper Odhiambo.
A save by either keeper in the final minutes of the game, off a shot by John Kago and Kipkirui, and a final corner and freekick from Ulinzi brought the action to a close.
As City Stars settled for sixth at the close of Saturday games, Ulinzi remained tenth with 28 points after suffering their third straight defeat at the ASK Showground.
Up next for City Stars is a date with Champions Gor Mahia at Ruaraka on Saturday 17 July 2021 starting 3pm.
Nairobi City Stars: 23. Steve Njunge (GK), 26. Bolton Omwenga, 25. Kenedy Onyango, 22. Wycliffe Otieno, 19. Kevin Okumu, 18. Sven Yidah, 10. Peter Opiyo, 30. Anthony Kimani (2. Elvis Noor Ojiambo-80), 17. Nicholas Kipkirui-58), 21. Oliver Maloba (20. Timothy Noor Ouma-90+), 32. Ezekiel Odera (24. Erick Ombija-63)
Not considered: 6. Ronney Kola, 14. Rowland Makati (both on loan at Nairobi Stima), 16. Jacob Osano (GK), 4. Salim Abdalla, 15. John Kamau, 29. Ebrima Sanneh, 7. Rodgers Okumu, 11. Davis Agesa, 28. Herit Mungai Atariza, 3. Charles Otieno,
Coach: Sanjin Alagic
Yellow cards;
Ulinzi Stars: 8. John Kago (52)
Nairobi City Stars: 32. Ezekiel Odera (38), 30. Anthony Kimani (49), 22. Wycliffe Otieno (61), Kenedy Onyango (87)
Striker Erick Ombija on the ball against Ulinzi Stars during a matchday 25 Betking Premier League tie at the ASK Showground in Nakuru on Sat 10 Jul 2021. Nairobi City Stars won the game 2-0Elvis Noor Ojiambo has a go at Ulinzi Stars’ Brian Birgen during a matchday 25 Betking Premier League tie at the ASK Showground in Nakuru on Sat 10 Jul 2021. Nairobi City Stars won the game 2-0Kevin Okumu goes for the ball with Ulinzi Stars’ John Njuguna during a matchday 25 Betking Premier League tie at the ASK Showground in Nakuru on Sat 10 Jul 2021. Nairobi City Stars won the game 2-0
