Nairobi City Stars

Tag: Steve Njunge

  • Njunge, Abich feted at Gala night

    Njunge, Abich feted at Gala night

    Stephen Njunge and Noah Abich were, on the evening of Tuesday 14 September 2021, were recognized as the joint runners-up goalkeeper and runners-up team manager of the year during the FKF Premier league gala-night.

    Njunge, who had a stellar season with Nairobi City Stars in the ended 2020-21 season after clocking the full 33 games and amassing a total of 2,970 minutes, took home Kshs 300,000 for his achievement.

    Abich, who led Simba wa Nairobi to promotion in the 2019/20 season before taking up a role on the technical bench, took home Kshs 200,000 and a trophy.

    “The recognition I received challenges me to work even harder,” said the soft-spoken Steve who managed 11 clean sheets, one short of winner James Saruni of Ulinzi who took home Kshs 500,000

    “It’s exciting and I wish to thank all my team members for making it happen,” added Njunge

    Abich, who interestingly always referred to himself across the season as the ‘Team Manager of the year’, said;

    “This is a good surprise that was only made possible by the contribution of everyone in the team. I appreciate it but I wish to thank all in the team for making it possible.” he said from Kisumu where he is attending a CAF ‘C’ course

    Full list of awards

    MVP

    Eric Kapaito (Kariobangi Sharks)- Sh 1,000,000

    MVP Nominees: Eugene Asike, Henry Meja (both Tusker), Elvis Rupia (AFC Leopards, Lawrence Juma (Sofapaka)

    Midfielder of the year:

    1.       Lawrence Juma (Sofapaka)- Sh 300,000

    2.       Kevin Kimani (Wazito)- Sh 200,000

    3.       Jackson Macharia (Tusker)- Sh 100,000

    Defender of the year: 

    1.       Eugene Asike (Tusker)– Sh 300,000

    2.       Nashon Alembi (KCB)- Sh 200,000

    3.       David Kalama (Bidco)- Sh 100,000

    Coach of the year:

    1.       Robert Matano (Tusker) – Sh 500,000

    2.       Zedekiah Otieno (KCB)– Sh 300,000

    3.       Andre Casambungo (Bandari)– Sh 150,000

    Assistant referee of the year

    1. Margaret Muthoni- Sh 300,000
    2. Gilbert Cheruyoit- Sh 200,000
    3. Samuel Kuria- Sh 100,000

    Referee of the year

    1. Peter Waweru- Sh 300,000
    2. Anthony Ogwayo- Sh 200,000
    3. Davis Omweno – Sh 100,000

    Digital Team of the Year

    1. Tusker FC (Timothy Olobulu)- Sh 200,000
    2. Bandari FC- Sh 150,000
    3. Kariobangi Sharks- Sh 100,000

    Fair play award

    1. Kariobangi Sharks- Sh 300,000
    2. Tusker FC-Sh 200,000
    3. KCB FC-Sh 100,000

    Team Manager of the Year

    1. George Opondo (Tusker)– Sh 300,000
    2. Noah Abich (Nairobi City Stars)– Sh 200,000
    3. Moses Jobita (Western Stima)– Sh 100,000

    Young Player of the year

    1. Henry Meja (Tusker)– Sh 300,000
    2. Lawrence Luvanda (Vihiga United)– Sh 200,000
    3. Sylvester Owino (Kakamega Homeboyz)- Sh 100,000

    Golden Boot 

    1. Eric Kapaito (Kariobangi Sharks)-24 goals – Sh 500,000
    2. Elvis Rupia (AFC LEopards)-17 goals– Sh 300,000
    3. Lawrence Juma (Sofapaka)-16 goals– Sh 150,000

    Golden Glove (Best keeper)

    1. James Saruni  (Ulinzi Stars) – Sh 500,000
    2.  Steve Njunge (Nairobi City Stars)/Joseph Okoth (KCB FC) – Sh 300,000

    President’s Award: Rosemary Aluoch Kadondi (deceased) – Sh 500,000

  • Nairobi City Stars 2020/21 Premier League season in numbers

    Nairobi City Stars 2020/21 Premier League season in numbers

    Nairobi City Stars returned to the Kenyan Premier, for the first time in four years, to feature in the 2020/21 topflight season.

    Summed up, here’s Simba wa Nairobi’s season in numbers:

    0 (zero)

    • Points collected from Wazito and KCB all season.
    • Number of goals scored from corners, and conceded

    1

    • Number of goals scored by stopper Salim Shitu Abdallah during the first game of the second leg as City Stars whipped Sofapaka 3-0
    • Times Shitu was named Player of the Week; after round 18 game against Sofapaka. He was the only City Stars player to be named Player of the Week this season.
    • Points earned from Bidco United and outgoing champions Gor Mahia
    • Times Sven Yidah made it to the team of the week (round 5)

    2

    • Goals scored by fullbacks Bolton Omwenga and Kevin Chumsy Okumu, as well as roving forwards Oliver Maloba and Rodgers Okuse Okumu
    • Penalties saved by keeper Stephen Njunge; against Nzoia Sugar in season opener and Kakamega Homeboyz in the second leg
    • Number of games Jimmy Bageya featured in during his sixth stint with the club. He exited in January
    • Points earned against Posta Rangers and Vihiga United

    3

    • Number of MVP accolades earned by Kennedy Vidic Onyango
    • Starts by utility back Edwin Buliba. He completed two games on his debut Premier League season
    • Direct freekicks scored; by Peter Pinchez Opiyo (vs Ulinzi Stars) field skipper Anthony Muki Kimani (vs Tusker), Botlon Omwenga (vs Ulinzi Stars)
    • Times head coach Sanjin Alagic was named the coach of the week; after match days 18, 21 and 25
    • Points gathered from Kariobangi Sharks, AFC Leopards, Zoo FC, Mathare United, Kakamega Homeboyz and Sofapaka.
    • Most straight losses; match days 9-11 against Sofapaka (1-0), Kariobangi Sharks (2-1), Kakamega Homeboyz (2-0)

    4

    • Goals scored by three of our strikers; Nicholas Kipkirui, Erick Ombija and Ezekiel Odera, as well as Muki
    • Number of MVP accolades earned by Muki, Shitu and Sven Yidah across the season. The second highest
    • Assists by Muki. Second highest
    • Times left-back Bolton Omwenga (rounds 18,20,25,29) and keeper Stephen Njunge (rounds 3, 13, 21, 28) made it to the team of the week
    • points scooped from eventual champions Tusker, Ulinzi Stars and Bandari

    5

    • Times Peter Pinchez Opiyo was named MVP. The highest
    • Number of yellows collected by Pinchez, Shitu, Vidic, Chumsy and Muki
    • Number of 2-0 margin wins; vs Nzoia Sugar (H), Bandari (H), Mathare United (H), Ulinzi Stars (A)
    • Straight wins achieved at the start of the second leg. Was a new record never achieved in 12 previous premier league seasons between 2004 and, 2016.
    • Number of players who made their second premier league debut for City Stars; Maloba, Odera, overall team captain Calvin Masawa and Bageya – all of whom were part of the relegated team in 2016, as well as Muki who was returning to City Stars since 2009

    6

    • Number of assists by bullish forward Davis Beast Agesa; one more than last season. The highest
    • Points collected in home and away games against Western Stima and Nzoia United
    • Teams City Stars met for the first time ever in the Premier League: Nzoia Sugar, Bidco United, Vihiga United, Zoo FC, Kariobangi Sharks and, Wazito.

    7

    • Goals scores by Pinchez to emerge as the top scorer this season
    • Positional finish at the close of the season in the 17-team table
    • Number of games handled by John Amboko – the last set of games to season-end – after the exit of Sanjin Alagic due to expiry of his contract
    • Games earned by former Hakati striker Vincent Jamaica Otieno

    8

    • Number of one-goal margin wins; 5 ended 2-1 [vs Zoo FC (H), Kariobangi Sharks (A), Western Stima (H), AFC Leopards (H) another three ended in 1-0 wins (vs Homeboyz (H), Nzoia Sugar (A), Tusker (A)]
    • Wins registered in 16 second leg games

    9

    • Starts by teenager Timothy Noor Ouma aka Babu. He completed three games
    • Games completed by stopper Wycliffe Wiked Otieno and Davis Beast Agesa
    • Number of draws. Five ended as 1-1 [v Vihiga United (H), Posta Rangers (A), Ulinzi Stars (H), Bandari (A), Gor Mahia (H), and two each ended as 0-0 [vs Bidco United (A), Vihiga United (A)] and 2-2 [vs Tusker (H), Posta Rangers (H)]
    • Venues visited this season; Wundanyi-Taveta, Mbaraki-Mombasa, Moi Stadium-Kisumu, Bukhungu-Kakamega (once each), ASK Showground-Nakuru (twice), Narok Stadium (three times), Kasarani Annex and Utalii (seven times each) and Ruaraka (ten times)
    • Number of games City Stars failed to score; in five 1-0 losses to KCB (A), AFC Leopards (A), Sofapaka (A), Gor Mahia (A) and Wazito (A), and in 2-0 losses to Kakamega Homeboyz (A) & Mathare United (A), in 3-0 loss to KCB (H), 0-0 losses to Bidco United (A), Vihiga United (A)

    11

    • Number of players that scored this season; Shitu, Omwenga, Chumsy (defenders), Sven, Maloba, Okuse, Pinchez, Muki (midfielders), Kipkirui, Ombija and Odera (strikers)
    • Clean sheets by keeper Stephen Njunge. The second best in the league
    • Starts earned by left back Herit Mungai. He completed nine
    • Games earned by striker Ebrima Sanneh who missed the first three months of the season due to ijury.

    12

    • Number of players in the 30-man squad of the season that had no Premier League experience. 8 went on to make their bow
    • Wins amassed this season – two short of the tally of 14 – the highest ever in 13 premier league season achieved in the 2004/5.

    15, 18 – number of times young keeper Elvis Ochoro and Jacob Osano, respectively, were named as reserves

    22 – number of incomplete games by field skipper Muki. He started in 28 games but, as a tactic, exited in 21. He came on as a sub once.

    24

    • Times Masawa stayed on the bench as a utility reserve. The most in the season
    • Times John Kamau was left out of the overall squad. he returned strongly to make the squad in the final six games of the season

    25 – Average age of the squad that featured in the ended 2020/21 premier league season

    29

    • Times Muki captained the team
    • Number of players used across the season

    30 – Goals conceded this season: 3 freekicks (10%), 4 penalties (13.3%), 23 (76.7%) in open play

    36 – Goals scored by 13 players. Distributed as follows; 1 own goal (2.8%), 3 freekicks (8.3%), 5 penalties (13.9%), 27 in open play (75%)

    45 – Points amassed in the season from 12 wins and nine draws. Second best points haul since the 55 achieved over 38-games in the 2003-4 season

    56 – Days apart from when City Stars played Tusker and Gor Mahia in match days 16 (20 Mar) and 17 (16 May). The long break was necessitated by coronavirus instigated lockdown

    59 – number of bookings handed to players across the season; 56 yellow cards and 3 red cards

    97% – Percentage of games earned by Vidic . He featured in 32 of 33 games only missing the one due to suspension. He clocked 2,868 minutes.

    100% – Percentage of games earned by keeper Stephen Njunge. He featured in all 33 games – the only player to do so at City Stars – featuring in a record 2,970 minutes.

    275 – Minutes clocked by defensive-mid Charles Chale Otieno across ten games on his debut season.

    608 – Minutes clocked by roving winger Azizi Okaka in 12 games.

    935 – Minutes clocked by teenager Timothy Noor Ouma, a Laiser Hill Alumnus, in 24 of 33 games on his debut season

    1,012 – Minutes clocked by budding creative midfielder Elvis Noor Ojiambo across 25 games.

    32,684-Cumulative minutes earned by 29 players in the season

    500,000 (Kshs) – The bounty that was on the table had team finished in the top five

  • Odera, Bolton in TOTW 30

    Odera, Bolton in TOTW 30

    Two Nairobi City Stars players; left-back Bolton Omwenga and striker Ezekiel Odera both made it to the team of the week (TOTW) at the close of matchday 30 during the ending week.

    Bolton and Odera were a class act leading City Stars to a deserved 2-1 win over AFC Leopards at Ruaraka on Tuesday to move third on the log.

    The two combined for the first goal in the 34th minute – Bolton sweeping in a cross from the left, off an Antony Kimani freekick, for Odera to tap in a classic goal.

    Separately, Odera was named the most valuable player in the game.

    Their entry to the team of the week follows Timothy Ouma and Stephen Njunge who landed in the first eleven at the end of round 29 following a 1-0 win over Tusker.

    Nairobi City Stars, Bolton
    Bolton Omwenga of Nairobi City Stars in a game against Mathare United on Tue 2 March 2021 at Kasarani Annex. City Stars won 2-0
  • City Stars trio in TOTW 29

    City Stars trio in TOTW 29

    Three Nairobi City Stars players; defender Wycliffe Otieno, keeper Stephen Njunge and midfielder Timothy Babu Ouma made it to the team of the week after round 29  games.

    To make it to the best 11, the trio aided Nairobi City Stars to a 1-0 win over log leaders Tusker at Ruaraka on Friday 30 July 2021.

    Ezekiel Odera scored the lone goal in the 53rd minute after getting to the end of a long ball by teenager Ouma.

    Babu, as Ouma is fondly known, clocked his first premier league 90 minutes in that game and came out as the man of the match.

    While Ouma made a debut in the team of the week, Wycliffe was making a return while Njunge made his sixth appearance. He registered his eleventh clean sheet against Tusker.

    “I am really happy for them in being recognised in the list of the best.” said head coach John Amboko

    Fresh from that accolade, the trio and company will look up to their next assignment against AFC Leopards on Tuesday 3 August at Ruaraka starting at 3.15 pm.

  • Njunge in TOTW 22

    Njunge in TOTW 22

    For a second straight match day, and for the fourth time this season, Nairobi City Stars goalkeeper Stephen Njunge was nominated to the Premier League Team Of The Week (TOTW), this time after matchday 22, played between Friday 25 and Saturday 26 June 2021.

    Njunge’s heroics saw City Stars nick all points from home team Nzoia United after a 1-0 win triumph at Narok Stadium on Friday.

    It was a second straight game that Njunge kept a clean sheet as City Stars followed up on a similar 1-0 scoreline against Kakamega Homeboyz the weekend before.

    He was the outright MVP against Homeboyz which earned him a Player of the Week nomination for the second time this season after the first in Week 3. He emerged second.

    In the Homeboyz game at Ruaraka, Njunge saved an early second-half penalty, an arrest that changed the tone of the game leading to the win.

    — Betking Kenya Premier League (@Officialfkfpl) June 22, 2021

    City Stars head coach Sanjin has commented on his steady rise ever since he joined Simba wa Nairobi in the offseason;

    “Congratulations to Steve! In my opinion, he is the best goalkeeper in the KPL, with very huge potential,”

    “He is a hardworking and disciplined player, a very humble and kind person, so I’m not surprised how he has developed this season,”

    “I wish him to continue with his good performances so as to help us to achieve new victories,” added Sanjin

    The soft-spoken Njunge has featured in all 22 premier league games for City Stars this season.

    Nairobi City Stars
    Keeper Steve Njunge during a the Western Stima game at Moi Stadium, Kisumu on Wednesday 23 February 2021 during a match day 13 Kenyan Premier League tie. Simba wa Nairobi won the game 2-0
    OSano, Njunge
    Nairobi City Stars goalkeepers Jacob Osano (Golden Poppy) and Steve Njunge (red) warming up ahead of a round 22 premier league game against Nzoia United in Narok on Friday 25 June 2021
    Steve Njunge
    Steve Njunge eyes the ball during a Nairobi City Stars – Western Stima clash in Ruaraka on Tue 15 June 2021. City Stars won the tie 2-1
→←