Nairobi City Stars will host Sofapaka at Ruaraka on Monday 24 May 2021 in a round 18 Kenyan Premier league clash starting 3pm,
It will be the ninth time that City Stars will be hosting Sofapaka in the premier league, but the first time since a 1-0 loss in April 2016 at Nyayo Stadium. City Stars was in the second tier the years between then and now.
In the Monday affair both sides will be hoping to rise up from immediate past losses to champions Gor Mahia.
City Stars went down 1-0 to the champs on Sunday at Utalii and a few days later Sofapaka fell 2-1 to the same side in Wundayi.
The upcoming tie will be the first in the second leg for both teams.
During the first leg tie back in January, Sofapaka needed a second half Ambrose Sifuna goal to win it 1-0 in Wundanyi and while they will be going for a double on Monday, City Stars will seek to reverse the tide.
In the previous eight home games over Sofapaka between 2009 and 2016, City Stars has managed two wins, three draws and three losses.
The two home wins, in October 2010 (2-0) and May 2011 (1-0) were, interestingly, masterminded by Ken Odhiambo, the current Sofapaka coach.
This season, Odhiambo and City Stars coach Sanjin Alagic are at one apiece in term of wins when facing each other.
When City Stars beat Bandari 2-0 in the third game of the season it was Odhiambo who was on the losing end as the coach of the dockers.
He then jumped ship to Sofapaka and earned his revenge over Sanjin as he led Batoto ba Mungu to the 1-0 win in Wundanyi.
Into the next game Sofapaka is placed tenth with 19 points and are two points and three positions ahead of City Stars.
Who will blink first at Ruaraka?
Summary of City Stars home games vs Sofapaka
Total home games: 8. City Stars (2 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, ??
Coach Sanjin Alagic and his City Stars players at Wundanyi on Sat 23 Jan 2021 during a match day 9 against Sofapaka. The hosts won the game 1-0