09 Mar 2022
NCS, Team News Permalink
City Stars
City Stars player celebrate goal against Posta Rangers during a first leg game played in Thika on 30 Oct 2021. It ended 1-1

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

March 9, 2022

For only the sixth time in the Premier League, Nairobi City Stars will host Posta Rangers in a matchday 21 tie to be held at Thika Stadium on Wednesday 9 March 2022 starting 3 pm.

Never has City Stars beaten Rangers as hosts, as the past five encounters in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2021 all ended in even-stevens.

The first two games ended in 1-1 draws and the next two in barren draws while the last one ended in a 2-2 draw after Nicholas Kipkirui bundled home an injury-time leveler in Ruaraka.

From the archives, the Wednesday game will be, overall in the topflight, the 12th encounter between the two. City Stars has only won once in the past eleven games and Posta twice.

For the first time ever, City Stars will host Rangers at the Thika Stadium, the same venue that hosted the first leg game of the current 2021/22 season.

That game, hosted by Rangers, ended in a 1-1 draw after Simba wa Nairobi came from behind for a share of the pie.

Between the first leg and now, Rangers has had a change in coaching with Salim Ali as the new man in charge taking over from Stanley Okumbi.

City Stars bench is as-is and once again Nicholas Muyoti will be leading his charges against the Rangers at the Thika Stadium.

From the last set of games, City Stars and Rangers are reeling from defeats, incidentally at the same venue on the same day last week.

Rangers went down 3-1 to log-leaders Kakamega Homeboyz and soon after City Stars fell 2-0 to Bidco United.

The defeats by either side serve up the perfect tone for a Wednesday game in Thika.

Table wise, City Stars is up third on the log with 35 points, as Rangers is seventh with 29 points.

Who comes out tops in this one?

Summary

KPL Home games vs Rangers – 5; Wins (0), Draws (5), Loses (0)
28-Mar-10; City Stars vs Posta Rangers, 1-1 (D)
30-Jul-11; City Stars vs Posta Rangers, 1-1 (D)
19-Feb-12; City Stars vs Posta Rangers, 0-0 (D)
22-May-16; City Stars vs Posta Rangers, 0-0 (D)
14-Aug-21; City Stars vs Posta Rangers, 2-2 (D)

08 Mar 2022
NCS, Team News Permalink
Posta Rangers
City Stars vs Posta Rangers at Thika Stadium on 31 Oct 2021 in Thika. the game ended 1-1

Three changes against Posta Rangers

March 8, 2022

Introduction of Vincent Jamaica Otieno, Rodgers Okuse Okumu, Erick Ombija and Sven Yidah are the four changes made from the squad that faced Bidco United last weekend, for the upcoming tie against Posta Rangers set for Thika Stadium on Wednesday 9 March 2022 starting 3 pm.

Jamaica returns after missing the last ten games as Sven and Okuse make the squad once again after sitting out the last two games against Mathare United and Bidco United.

Ombija is in ending a four-game miss.

The quartet take up the places of Elvis Noor Ojiambo, John Kamau, Charles Otieno and Ezekiel Odera who saw red in the last encounter.

From the squad that faced the same side in late October 2021 at the same venue, posting a 1-1 draw, changes are four.

Jacob Osano, the starting keeper then, is still on rest and his place has been taken up by Elvis Ochoro.

Odera who started the game then, Mike Madoya who was a late sub, and Elvis Noor Ojiambo who was an unused sub, are all out.

Their places have been taken up by defender Herit Mungai, Augustine Kuta, and Peter Opiyo.

Nairobi City Stars squad vs Posta Rangers

Goalkeepers: 23. Steve Njunge, 1. Elvis Ochoro

Defenders: 4. Salim Abdalla, 8. Calvin Masawa, 19. Kevin Okumu, 25. Kenedy Onyango, 26. Dennis Wanjala, 27. Lennox Ogutu, 28. Herit Mungai,

Midfielders: 7. Rodgers Okumu, 10. Peter Opiyo, 18. Sven Yidah, 20. Timothy Ouma, 21. Oliver Maloba, 29. Augustine Kuta, 30. Anthony Kimani,

Strikers: 9. Vincent Otieno Okoth, 11. Davis Agesa, 17. Nicholas Kipkirui, 24. Erick Ombija

Not considered: 2. Elvis Noor Ojiambo, 3. Charles Otieno, 5. Mike Madoya, 6. Ronney Kola, 12. Edwin Buliba, 14. Rowland Makati, 15. John Kamau, 16. Jacob Osano, 22. Wycliffe Otieno, , 31. Mohammed Bajaber, 32. Ezekiel Odera

08 Mar 2022
NCS, Team News Permalink
Edwin Buliba, City Stars
Edwin Buliba, City Stars

Buliba humbled

March 8, 2022

Despite the fact that he has not stepped to the pitch for Nairobi City Stars in the last five games, stopper Edwin Malebo Buliba is not about to lose focus.

Buliba recently suffered a knock to his ribs after bumping onto a teammate in training and has had to sit out a number of games to recover.

Before his layoff, Buliba had featured in eight straight games from round 8, seven of which were full 90-minute games.

Buliba excited by consecutive full games

As he bides his time to return to the lineup, he admits that Simba wa Nairobi has had a good run 20 rounds into the 2021/22 FKF Premier League.

“So far we have a good run. Everyone is at their level best fighting for the team to achieve it’s objective this season,”

Better still, the support he has had from the technical bench has touched his soft spot;

“For me, the competition is stiff and I need to be more consistent to grow individually. I am focused and I thank the technical bench for their great belief in me. It’s humbling.” he added

Thus far, Buliba has improved on the 302 minutes registered on his topflight debut last season as he has already clocked 676 minutes in the current season that’s slightly past the halfway mark.

08 Mar 2022
NCS, Team News Permalink
City Stars
City Stars players during a past Premier League game in Ruaraka

Club Statement: Suspect officiating

March 8, 2022

Reference is made to our latest game against Bidco United in Thika Stadium where Nairobi City Stars lost 2-0 to home team Bidco United on Saturday 5 March 2022 during a matchday 20 FKF Premier League game.

Two penalty calls by the center referee for either side in the second half were, to say the least, suspect.

The calls on the day, as was the case when the same referee handled a Homeboyz-City Stars game at Bukhungu on 20 January 2022, make us believe there’s more than meets the eye.

While we appreciate the role played by match officials, calls that destabilize a team, or that hand others undue advantage, directly or indirectly, are unacceptable.

Aboveboard decisions from match officials improve the credibility of the league and breed healthy competition.

We, therefore, call on proper appointments as well as implementable checks and balances on match officials from the concerned for the sake of our game, not only in the FKF Premier League but to all other leagues across the country.

Patrick Korir

CEO, Nairobi City Stars

 

07 Mar 2022
NCS, Team News Permalink
Nairobi City Stars, Okuse
City Stars flyer Rodgers 'Okuse' Okumu in action against Mutomo Tigers at Kitui Stadium on Sat 13 Feb 2021 during a round 64 Betway Cup. City Stars won 4-1

‘Okuse’ narrows it down to competitiveness

March 7, 2022

Flyer Rodgers Okuse Okumu, arguably Kenya Premier League’s quickest player off the blocks, reckons Nairobi City Stars’ fine run this season is due to a competitive squad.

Okuse, roped in from Coast Stima in the offseason of the year 2020, shares his analysis at a time when Simba wa Nairobi is second on the log with 35 points after 20 rounds of play into the 2021/22 FKF Premier League season.

“I must say the season has gone on well and we as City Stars have had a good run. This is due to competitiveness in the squad which is the real reason why the team has picked up positive results,” said the speedy winger

“We firmly believe that this is our season but we have to step it up a bit more to be able to achieve the set targets as a team.” added Okuse

From 14 games played so far this season, Okuse has scored twice, against Wazito and an important equalizing goal against Kakamega Homeboyz.

From the 14 games, Okuse has started once and has come on 13 times on his way to clocking 483 minutes.

Okuse, City Stars

Match winner Rodgers ‘Okuse’ Okumu celebrates his winning goal with Oliver Maloba in Narok after a Nzoia United – Nairobi City Stars match on Fri 25 June 2021

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