— Betking Kenya Premier League (@Officialfkfpl) June 24, 2021
He was nominated for the award after leading City Stars to a 1-0 win over Kakamega Homeboyz at the weekend for Simba wa Nairobi to register a fourth straight premier league win.
?️|VOTE for your Coach of the week for Matchday 21.
— Betking Kenya Premier League (@Officialfkfpl) June 22, 2021
While Sanjin took the coaching honors, two players; keeper Steve Njunge who saved an early second-half penalty to keep City Stars in the game, and mid master Peter Pinchez Opiyo, were named to the team of the week.
Nairobi City Stars will not be traveling to Sudi in Bukembe to play home team Nzoia United, but to Narok, for a round 22 premier league tie on Friday 25 June 2021 starting 3 pm.
The venue changes were necessitated due to a lockdown of some counties last week by the Government of Kenya following a spike in Coronavirus numbers.
The Government shutdown also locked out sports, and at that, premier league teams the affected counties that include Busia, Vihiga, Kisii, Nyamira, Kakamega, Bungoma, Kericho, Bomet, Trans Nzoia, Kisumu, Siaya, Homa-Bay and Migori, have been forced to look elsewhere for playing surfaces.
Unable to host the game in their traditional backyard Sudi, Nzoia were forced to seek an alternate and have since confirmed Narok Stadium for the upcoming game that was initlaly planned for Thursday before a shift to Friday.
FKF-Premier League managers have since confirmed the same officially;
“We wish to inform you (City Stars) that there is a change of the match venue for the match mentioned above,”
“The match shall now take place at Narok Stadium and not Sudi Stadium as earlier scheduled.”
Salim ‘Shitu’ Abdalla looks on in Nairobi City Stars Premier League opener against Nzoia Sugar FC on Sun 29 Nov 2020. City Stars won 2-0. Shitu was named MVP for Simba wa Nairobi
Oliver Maloba celebrates his goal, the second for City Stars in the season opening 2-0 win over Nzoia Sugar FC at Narok Stadium on Sun 29 Nov 2020
Left-footed John Kamau is set to stay out of action for a number of days following a recent injury suffered in training.
Kamau, a backup on all positions on the left channel, suffered the injury in the past week while shaping up for the game against Western Stima.
According to team physio Brian Odongo Otieno, Kamau will be out for up to three weeks to fully recover.
“John Kamau sustained a lateral collateral ligament injury from training. He is expected to be out for 3 weeks for his treatment and rehabilitation,” he said
Save for Kamau, a January 2020 signing from Tusker, all other players in the squad are fully fit and raring to go in upcoming games.
In the round 21 game, Nicholas Kipkirui’s 63rd-minute goal, his first for Simba wa Nairobi in the premier league, was the difference that added on to three recent second leg wins over Sofapaka (3-0), Kariobangi Sharks, and Western Stima (both ended 2-1).
— Betking Kenya Premier League (@Officialfkfpl) June 19, 2021
In their previous 12 straight seasons in the premier league between 2004 and 2016, City Stars only managed to clock four contiguous wins on just three occasions.
Robert Matano was the first Coach to achieve the streak of four wins in a row back in 2006 when he led City Stars, then known as World Hope, to wins over Mathare Youth (3-0), Tusker (1-0), Homegrown (1-0) and Coast Stars (2-1) in match days 3 to 6.
The second such streak was in the 2008 season under coach John Bobby Ogola when the team, in their final season under the name World Hope, won games against Chemelil Sugar (1-0), Tusker (2-0), Mathare United (1-0) and Mathare Youth (1-0) in match days 15-18.
Coach Gideon Ochieng matched Bobby’s streak in the 2012 season with wins over AFC Leopards (3-0), Western Stima (1-0), Thika United (3-2, then 1-0) in match days 13-16.
Sanjin Alagic now becomes the fourth coach, and the first foreigner, to achieve the rare fete by Matano, Ogola, and Ochieng.
Prior to the latest four triumphs, Sanjin had masterminded three straight wins in February and March after seeing off Zoo FC (2-1), Western Stima, and Mathare United with identical 2-0 wins.
“We were learning the ropes in the first leg, we took in hard lessons, identified the weak areas that we have since fixed, and we are now glad to see the team rise to the point of matching some old rare records.” said club CEO Patrick Korir
Sanjin now has his work cut out, to seek an unprecedented fifth premier league win in a row, when City Stars takes on Nzoia Sugar in the next game on Thur 24 June in Sudi.
Nicholas Kipkirui’s goal in the 63rd minute is all Nairobi City Stars needed to knock out Kakamega Homeboyz 1-0 in a premiership match 21 tie at Ruaraka on Saturday 19 June 2021.
Kipkirui’s goal, his first ever in the league for City Stars, came from close range after a sure pass from substitute Davis Agesa.
Agesa had only been on the pitch for three minutes, together with Anthony Muki Kimani, having come on for flyer Rodgers Okuse Okumu and Erick Ombija, respectively.
They brought the impact that turned around the game as Muki raced down the right wing to float a ball goalward. It received a knockdown to Agesa who squeezed the ball for Kipkirui to send it home for his maiden goal past Homeboyz keeper Geoffrey Oputi who seemed unbeatable all evening.
The game could have taken a different dimension at the onset of the second half when Homeboyz won a penalty.
But City Stars keeper Steve Njunge pulled a massive save to deny Chris Masinza, ultimately changing the tone of the game.
?46’| Penalty Miss ❌
Masinza fails to convert from the Spot.
Njunge saves it?
— Betking Kenya Premier League (@Officialfkfpl) June 19, 2021
Homeboyz, playing their traditional high press game, made their intent evident as early as the eighth minute with a freekick from winger David Okoth. It bounced off the City Stars wall.
City Stars had a response in the 21st minute when left-back Bolton Omwenga dropped a freekick in the goal area. It was cleared out.
On either side of the two set-pieces, two Homeboyz players; Francis Omondi, a defensive mid, and stopper Sylvester Owino had been slapped with yellow cards for bookable challenges as physicality in the game began to show.
Off a foul, Okoth was at it again with a freekick on 27 minutes but it went straight to Njunge. Again, Bolton responded to it with one for City Stars at the half-hour mark. It smacked the crossbar and back into play in what was the closest chance for a goal by the home team.
There were two further freekicks by Homeboyz moments later but freekicks by stopper Thomas Wainaina and Francis Omondi failed to hit the target.
The tide then shifted City Stars way but on two occasions, once by Kipkirui, the ball missed crossing the line by a whisker off a volley with the keeper beaten.
The game then rolled to halftime with either side wasting a free-kick each.
Straight into the second half, City Stars gave the ball away in midfield and it landed on Okoth on the right wing who then sent a floater goalward. It earned a penalty that Njunge parried out. It was the second time this season that Njunge has saved a penalty, adding on to his heroics in the season opener against Nzoia United in Narok.
22 minutes into the second half Homeboyz threw in three fresh legs to chase the game. Allan Wanga, Shami Kibwana and Collins Odhiambo all came on for Masinza, Stephen Opoku and Wainaina, in that order.
In the minutes that followed, City Stars were in the Homeboyz area with Kevin Okumu dropping a cross to the box, Oliver Maloba cutting back for Muki, and Bolton troubling Oputi with a freekick. None of those occasions bore fruits.
Homeboyz were to throw in their final card as they searched for points by introducing Stephen Etyang for injured Ali Bhai.
Moments later Homeboyz should have been level when Okoth raced down the left flank, burst into the box to fire home only for his attempt to be cut out by eventual game MVP Njunge.
— Betking Kenya Premier League (@Officialfkfpl) June 19, 2021
The final minutes saw City Stars clean out the bench by bringing on Ezekiel Odera for Kipkirui, Elvis Noor Ojiambo for Maloba, and finally Wycliffe Otieno for Sven to protect the slim lead to the final minute.
With the win, that overturns a 2-0 first leg loss suffered at Bukhungu in February, Simba wa Nairobi now shoots upwards from eighth past Ulinzi and Bandari to settle at sixth spot with 29 points from 20 games ahead of Sunday games.
— Betking Kenya Premier League (@Officialfkfpl) June 19, 2021
Next up for Nairobi City Stars is a round 22 tie away to Nzoia Sugar on Thur 24 June at Sudi Stadium.
Lineups
Nairobi City Stars: 23. Steve Njunge (GK), 26. Bolton Omwenga, 25. Kenedy Onyango, 4. Salim Abdalla, 19. Kevin Okumu, 10. Peter Opiyo-Captain, 21. Oliver Maloba (2. Elvis Noor Ojiambo-89), 18. Sven Yidah (22. Wycliffe Otieno-90+), 24. Erick Ombija (30. Anthony Kimani-60), 7. Rodgers Okumu (11. Davis Agesa-60 ), 17. Nicholas Kipkirui (32. Ezekiel Odera-89)
Not considered: 6. Ronney Kola, 14. Rowland Makati (both on loan at Nairobi Stima), 1. Elvis Ochoro (GK), 3. Charles Otieno, 5. Wesley Onguso, 12. Edwin Buliba, 27. Azizi Okaka, 20. Timothy Noor Ouma, 15. John Kamau, 9. Vincent Otieno Okoth
Coach: Sanjin Alagic
Kakamega Homeboyz: 26. Geoffrey Oputi (GK), 6. Benjamin Oketch, 13. Thomas Wainaina (16. Collins Odhiambo-67), 15. Sylvester Owino, 20. George Odiwuor, 4. Francis Omondi, 24. Ali Bhai-Captain (7. Stephen Etyang-84), 15. Stephen Opoku (2. Shami Kibwana-67), 10. Moses Mudavadi, 22. Chris Masinza (14. Allan Wanga-67), 9. David Okoth
Unused subs: 32. David Juma (GK), 8. Stephen Mukongolo,
Coach: Nicholas Muyoti
Yellow cards
Nairobi City Stars: 23. Steve Njunge (90+)
Kakamega Homeboyz: 4. Francis Omondi (10), 15. Sylvester Owino (22)
