Ulinzi Stars will lock horns with Tusker FC in the highlight FKF Premier League match set for the Ulinzi Sports Complex, Lang’ata this afternoon.Each of the two sides will be hoping for maximum points in this match to pick four from the tie, with the first leg encounter having ended in a barren draw at Kasarani Annex.Tusker played at the venue during its commissioning by the former president Uhuru Kenyatta, in April 2022, and they will be hoping to storm the ground and pick maximum points.##NAJAVA_MECA_7104769##Ahead of the match, Robert Matano anticipates a tough match against his former employer but he is confident that these are the kind of matches his team is made for.”The team has prepared well and so far so good. We do not have major injuries going into the game. It is a tough match but those are our kind of matches because we belong somewhere. These matches need character and mental strength as well as good organization. We have been working on concentration, defending, and urgency in front of goal which are what we lacked against Talanta,” Matano said.His counterpart, Benard Mwalala has asked his charges to put the loss to Posta Rangers behind them and instead focus on the upcoming match.”A league match is not a final. We have an important match on Thursday and therefore we need to stay positive and maintain a growth mindset, focusing on how we can improve rather than dwelling on the negative outcome of the past game,” Mwalala said.A win for Tusker in the encounter could see them move to second place but that will be pegged on the results posted by Nzoia Sugar and Kenya Police.On the other hand, a win for the Soldiers will see them leapfrog Tusker and into the fifth spot.Posta Rangers vs AFC Leopards – Nyayo National Stadium – 3PM EAT AFC Leopards will be hoping to avoid back-to-back defeats in the FKF Premier League when they take on Posta Rangers at the Nyayo National Stadium.Ingwe went down 1-0 to Mathare United on Sunday at Kasarani, in a match that the Slum Boys dominated before bagging maximum points. The Mailmen registered a similar win over Ulinzi Stars, and they will be hoping to make it three wins in a row when the Ingwe come knocking.When the two teams met in the first leg at the same venue, Posta stunned Ingwe, beating them 1-0 courtesy of a Cavin Odongo solo strike, and coach John Kamau will be hoping to complete a double over Patrick Aussems on Thursday.The Mailmen face a troubled AFC Leopards with a thin squad due to the FIFA transfer ban. Ingwe lost three key players just before facing Mathare United. Lewis Bandi appears to be out for the long haul with a knee problem, while the Eagles will be hoping to have Kayci Odhiambo and Musa Ouondo available for selection Thursday. The hosts have no injury crisis; only Brian Musa remains sidelined.”I hope that the medical staff is going to do a good job, and as I told you if all players are available, I think we can compete with anyone, but when we lose two or three players, it is very difficult but we hope to have some good news from the medical guys,” the Belgian tactician said.Nzoia Sugar vs Kenya Police – Sudi Stadium – 3PM EAT In Bungoma, Nzoia Sugar FC will be seeking to end their four-match winless run when they welcome Kenya Police to Sudi Stadium.Nzoia last bagged a league win in February against Kariobangi Sharks, and the match against the law enforcers is an opportunity for them to end the rot. In their last league meetings, Nzoia lost 1-0 to Bandari in Mombasa, while Police beat Kakamega Homeboyz by a similar score-line in Kakamega.The millers will also be seeking revenge for the first leg that they suffered in the lands of the Francis Baraza-led team. Despite dominating the match that was played at Nyayo Stadium, they went down 2-0.Vihiga vs Kariobangi Sharks At Bukhungu Stadium, troubled Vihiga Bullets will take on Kariobangi Sharks at 3 PM with their eyes fixed on rectifying the 15-game winless streak.Bullets last won a match at the start of January when they beat Nairobi City Stars 4-2, but since then they have struggled to get maximum points, a situation that has left them at the bottom of the log.Kariobangi Sharks on the other hand will be looking to build on their win over KCB as they target to jump over Bandari FC.Mathare United vs Bandari FC.In the early kickoff fixture Thursday, on-form Mathare United will look to add coast side Bandari FC to their growing list of casualties as they look to go back up a place over Talanta FC on 14th on the log.Bandari on the other hand will be hoping to get their second consecutive win after beating Nzoia Sugar 1-0 at the Mbaraki Stadium.Mathare United tactician believes that Sunday’s win over AFC Leopards was a show of the team’s growing belief and said: “Every team now knows what potential we possess, we will approach the game like we have done with the rest. I wont say Bandari are just an easy team to run over, they will pose a challenge and it just depends with what our game plan is.”##NAJAVA_MECA_7104768##Bandari have found it tough maintaining a winning consistency this season, and their away form isn’t the greatest; with them picking just 2 wins on their travels.The match kicks off at 1300 EAT at the Kasarani Annex Grounds.Sofapaka vs Kakamega HomeboyzIn the second match at the Kasarani Annex, Sofapaka will look to maintain their current unbeaten form in the second leg after picking up a win over Mathare United and drawing against City Stars on Saturday at Ruaraka.Speaking on their form, Sofapaka coach David Ouma believes that he is building something new with his side having got more time to work with them but hopes that his strikers will find goals.”We have good strikers in our team, I just want to see them score. Nothing much.”On the other hand, Kakamega Homeboyz have been on a dip- losing their last two games to Kenya Police (at home) and on the road against Ulinzi Stars, with new head coach Patrick Odhiambo only on one win – against bottom placed Vihiga Bullets.Immediate Vihiga Bullets player Vincent Ogolla is expected to suit up for his new side Kakamega Homeboyz in the match, as per reports.Wazito vs City Stars – Muhoroni – 3PM EAT Three fixtures into his tenure as the new coach of Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) outfit Wazito FC, Charles Odera is yet to taste victory. “We’ve had some challenges, but I’m glad that we’re getting better game after game,” the former Chemelil Sugar FC player told Mozzart Sport. The former APS Bomet FC gaffer returns to Muhoroni Stadium this afternoon to lead his troops against fellow strugglers Nairobi City Stars in another desperate quest to end the jinx. Like Wazito, Stars have had a rough ride in the first leg of the season and are hanging precariously in the relegation playoffs zone, with just three points separating the two clubs, in position 17 and 16 respectively. “It’s going to be a tough match,” Odera offered. “The stakes are very high for both of us. As the home side, there’s even more pressure on us to win,” he added.##NAJAVA_MECA_7105317##Wazito, formerly based in Nairobi before it shifted to Muhoroni Town last year after it was sold to a local investor, have now gone a whopping 13 matches without a win.Their last victory was a 1-0 win over 12-time champions AFC Leopards on Valentine’s Day. “The record is not good and we need to reverse it as soon as possible. The second leg is going to be very critical. We don’t want to get relegated and I believe we have enough time to turn our fortunes around,” the coach said.Nairobi City Stars on the other hand has endured a seven-game winless streak, including four wins and three draws. Interestingly, the last time they recorded a win in the top flight on January 25 was against Wazito FC. A 1-0 victory at Kasarani Annex. A win over Muhoroni will bring them to within a one point reach of FC Talanta and increase their chances of joining the relegation dogfight. Reporting by Mozzart Sport Team
