22 Apr 2022
NCS, Team News Permalink
Okuse, Sofapaka
City STars flyer Rodgers Okuse against Sofapaka at the Wundanyi Stadium on 25 Sept 2021. Sofapaka won the 2021/22 FKF Premier League season-opener 3-1

Head-to-head: Nairobi City Stars (H) vs Sofapaka (A): 2021/22 FKF Premier League season

April 22, 2022

Sofapaka will be guests to Nairobi City Stars during an FKF Matchday 27 tie in Ruaraka on Saturday 23 April 2022 starting 3 pm.

City Stars has hosted Sofapaka nine times before in the premier league and registered three wins, as many losses, and three draws.

In the last home encounter, Sofapaka received their heaviest defeat after going down 3-0 at the same venue in May 2021.

City Stars heads to the game coy of Sofapaka who handed them a 3-1 beating in Wundanyi in the 2021/22 season-opener in late September 2021.

Between then and now, Sofapaka has had a change in personnel as the mastermind of the win then, coach Ken Odhiambo, has since left the establishment and has been replaced by David Ouma.

Nicholas Muyoti, beaten in his first assignment that game as coach of Simba wa Nairobi, is still in charge.

Heading to the game, City Stars carries a draw and win over Ulinzi Stars as Sofapaka comes to the party with back-to-back 1-1 draws over log leaders Kakamega Homeboyz.

Table-wise, City Stars sits third with 45 points as Sofapaka comes in 12th with 30 points.

Who wins this one?

Summary of City Stars home games vs Sofapaka

Total home games: 9. City Stars (3 wins), Sofapaka (3 wins), 3 draws

26-Apr-09, City Stars vs Sofapaka, 1-1 (D)
24-Oct-10, City Stars vs Sofapaka, 2-0 (W)
4-May-11, City Stars vs Sofapaka, 1-0 (W)
18-Aug-12, City Stars vs Sofapaka, 0-0 (D)
20-Apr-13, City Stars vs Sofapaka, 1-3 (L)
12-Sep-14, City Stars vs Sofapaka, 0-1 (L)
2-May-15, City Stars vs Sofapaka, 0-0 (D)
23-Apr-16, City Stars vs Sofapaka, 0-1 (L)
24-May-21, City Stars vs Sofapaka, 3-0 (W)
23-Apr-22, City Stars vs Sofapaka, ??

22 Apr 2022
NCS, Team News Permalink
Wycliffe Otieno in a game against Mt. Kenya United at Dagoretti High on Sat 14 Nov 2020
Wycliffe Otieno in a game against Mt. Kenya United at Dagoretti High on Sat 14 Nov 2020

Stopper Otieno in, duo back for Sofapaka clash

April 22, 2022

Three changes have been made to the City Stars team that saw off Ulinzi Stars 1-0 on Easter Monday ahead of the upcoming FKF Premier League tie against Sofapaka on Saturday 23 April 2022 starting 3 pm in Ruaraka.

Attacking midfielder Timothy Noor Ouma aka Babu returns after sitting out the last game due to yellow card suspension as well as offensive midfielder Augustine Kuta who took a rest from the Easter match.

Making the squad for the first time this season is stopper Wycliffe Wiked Otieno who has been out of league action since mid-August 2021 due to a dislocated ankle suffered at the same venue while playing Mathare United.

Otieno has since recuperated fully and has finally found a chance to book his first topflight game in the current campaign.

Otieno takes up the place of Salim Shitu Abdallah who was injured in the last game and failed to go past the first half, as Babu and Kuta come on for unavailable John Kamau and Charles Otieno.

City Stars squad to face Sofapaka

Goalkeepers: 1. Elvis Ochoro, 16. Jacob Osano

Defenders: 8. Calvin Masawa, 19. Kevin Okumu, 22. Wycliffe Otieno, 25. Kenedy Onyango, 26. Dennis Wanjala, 27. Lennox Ogutu, 28. Herit Mungai

Midfielders: 2. Elvis Noor Ojiambo, 5. Michael Madoya, 7. Rodgers Okumu, 18. Sven Yidah, 20. Timothy Noor Ouma, 21. Oliver Maloba,  29. Augustine Kuta,  30. Anthony Kimani

Strikers: 11. Davis Agesa, 17. Nicholas Kipkirui, 32. Ezekiel Odera

Out: 3. Charles Otieno, 4. Salim Abdallah, 6. Ronney Kola, 9. Vincent Otieno Okoth, 12. Edwin Buliba, 14. Rowland Makati, 10. Peter Opiyo, 15. John Kamau, 23. Stephen Njunge, 24. Erick Ombija, 31. Mohammed Bajaber

Wycliffe Otieno

Centre back Wycliffe Otieno in a past game for Nairobi City Stars against Migori Youth at Camp Toyoyo during the 2019/2020 NSL Season

Defender Wycliffe Otieno training ahead of a past game for City Stars

21 Apr 2022
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Nairobi City Stars
Nairobi City Stars win 2 friendly games against Leeds and Kajiado North at PSC on Sat 13 March 2013

Friendly Fire: Nairobi City Stars 11 Imara FC 0

April 21, 2022

Nairobi City Stars registered an 11-0 win over Mwiki-based Imara FC during a training match held at the Ngong Vapor grounds on Wednesday 20 April 2022.

The game was aimed at handing the players that did not clock minutes, or partially featured in the last league game against Ulinzi Stars that ended 1-0 in Ruaraka on Easter Monday, as well as hand Imara a chance to have a taste of top tier football.

Simba wa Nairobi led 7-0 at halftime before topping up with four more in the next half.

Augustine Kuta, Michael Madoya, Rowland Makati – playing as a right-back – and, guest player Pius Omachi, all scored a brace. Mohammed Bajaber, Kelvin Etemesi (Kangemi United), and Edwin Buliba added a goal each.

Sequence of goals [min, scorer(provider)]

20-Edwin Buliba (Dennis Wanjala)
26-Michael Madoya (Penalty)
35-Augustine Kuta (opponent)
40-Augustine Kuta (Timothy Ouma)
41-Rowland Makati (intercept)
45-Michael Madoya (Rodgers Okumu)
52-Rowland Makati (Penalty)
61-Mohammed Bajaber (Kelvin Etemesi)
75-Kelvin Etemesi (Dan Otieno)
90-Pius Omachi (Rowland Makati)
90+Pius Omachi (Dennis Wanjala)

Lineups

City Stars: 1. Elvis Ochoro, 14. Rowland Makati, 12. Edwin Buliba (4. Salim Abdallah), 22. Wycliffe Otieno, 3. Charles Otieno (31. Mohammed Bajaber), 2. Elvis Noor Ojiambo (Dan Otieno-guest), 20. Timothy Ouma, 5. Michael Madoya (Pius Omachi-guest), 29. Augustine Kuta (Etemesi – guest), 9. Vincent Otieno (7. Rodgers Okumu)

Coach: Nicholas Muyoti

Imara FC: Mark Ibrahim, Dennis Mukoye, Dickson Orina, Samuel Theuri, Charles Muteei, Rashid Shitanda, Daniel Gikonyo, Rodgers Opondo, Silvan Alvaro, Rajab Kipkorir, Jack Githinji

Subs: Pilmax Ketete, George Amalemba, Francis Mwaura, Jessy Muyoti, Victor Mwangi, Samuel Wamalwa, Ruzzel Ochieng, Brandon Jason, Joseph Kinyanjui, Solomon Muraya, Gregory Gitau, Jimmy Nderitu

20 Apr 2022
NCS, Team News Permalink
Osano
Jacob Osano at Thika Stadium in October 2021

Chairman’s handshake for Osano

April 20, 2022

Nairobi City Stars goalkeeper Jacob Osano received a personal accolade from club Chair and owner Jonathan Jackson after his heroics on Monday 18 April 2022 that led to a 1-0 win over Ulinzi Stars in Ruaraka.

Substitute Oliver Maloba scored the winning goal after connecting to an Ezekiel Odera through ball in the 85th minute.

But it is the action of Osano that was the talk of the town after he kept out everything and anything that came his way, including a hard shot off a freekick by Bernard Ongoma in added time that could have leveled the game.

“He was outstanding in the game and we attribute the win to his performance. He was very good today,” said Jonathan who tracked Osano after the game to personally thank him with a firm handshake. 

Jonathan’s sentiments were echoed by head coach Nicholas Muyoti who said; “He gave us a man of the match performance that kept us in the game from start to the end,”

Osano, who registered a tenth clean sheet in that game, and City Stars’ eleventh of the season, dedicated his performance, and win, to fellow keeper Stephen Njunge who is injured and out for the rest of the season.

“It was a difficult game since we were facing a good team that is fighting relegation. They were physical and fighting for every ball. But we managed to get the three points, a good performance that I dedicate to my colleague Steve Njunge who is sidelined for the rest of the season due to knee injury.” said Osano

Osano, who made his premier league debut in the second game of the season against Kenya Police, has so far clocked 1,980 top-flight minutes from a possible 2,340 after completing 22 of 26 games played.

19 Apr 2022
NCS, Team News Permalink
Nicholas Muyoti
Nicholas Muyoti in Wundanyi during the 2021-22 FKF Premier League season opener against home team Sofapaka on Sun 26 Sept 2021

Muyoti: Second half approach earned Ulinzi win

April 19, 2022

To have won 1-0 against Ulinzi Stars on Monday 18 April 2022, head coach Nicholas Muyoti admits the changes made in the second half did the trick.

In the Easter Monday game, City Stars were bullied off the ball in the mid of the pack by a physical Ulinzi lot but changed its approach in the second half with the introduction of attacking midfielder Oliver Maloba who went on to score the winner with five minutes left on the clock.

Maloba came on for defensive midfielder Charles Otieno who had picked his second straight start. His arrival spurred returning Anthony Muki Kimani changing the tide of the game.

“We deployed a new plan after the last game (vs Ulinzi on Sat 10 April) but that did not work for us in the first half,”

“We had to change things in the second half and that turned the game around in our favor. Credit goes to the team for stepping it up to eventually grab the win. We now shift focus to the next game.” added Muyoti

Part of the changes from the first Ulinzi game was the deployment of regular right-back Kevin Chumsy Okumu as a right-winger in place of John Kamau. Calvin Masawa, as captain, took his spot. Davis Agesa started ahead of Maloba.

Nicholas Kipkirui came on for Chumsy in the second half as Kamau replaced Agesa. Rodgers Okumu later came on for assist provider Ezekiel Odera.

Earlier on, before the end of the first half, there was a like-for-like substitution when Kenedy Onyango took up the place of injured Salim Abdalla.

Next up for City Stars is a game in Ruaraka against Sofapaka on Saturday 23 April 2022 starting 3 pm.

Lineup vs Ulinzi on Mon 18 Apr 2022

Nairobi City Stars: 16. Jacob Osano, 8. Calvin Masawa (C), 28. Herit Mungai, 27. Lennox Ogutu, 4. Salim Abdalla (25. Kennedy Onyango-45), 18. Sven Yidah, 19. Kevin Okumu (17. Nicholas Kipkirui-72), 3. Charles Otieno (21. Oliver Maloba-46), 30. Anthony Kimani, 11. Davis Agesa (15. John Kamau-72), 32. Ezekiel Odera (7. Rodgers Okumu-85)

Unused subs: 1. Elvis Ochoro, 2. Elvis Noor, 26. Dennis Wanjala, 5. Michael Madoya

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