The top of the pile encounter between Tusker FC and Gor Mahia at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday was to highlight Week 31 of the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL), yet, it left more questions than answers. Nairobi City Stars sealed their spot in the league next season after beating AFC Leopards 2-1 also at Nyayo Stadium on Monday.Meanwhile, relegation survival, just like the title race, did not register any major shift after the main contenders, Wazito FC and Mathare United, lost their respective fixtures. It was a sad week for our league as it emerged that the winner of the league winners will take nothing, but pride home.1. Title and relegation quests remain deadlocked With just three matches to go, the 2022-23 FKFPL title is still for Tusker FC, Gor Mahia and Nzoia Sugar FC to take.The week was billed to give a clear indicator of where the crown would go, but after Nzoia Sugar lost 1-0 to visiting Kariobangi Sharks and Tusker FC were held to a barren draw by Gor Mahia, the wait is still on. Apart from deciding the title Tusker, Gor Mahia clash was to showcase the best of the FKFPL, but unfortunately, it was one of the most boring games I’ve watched this season.##NAJAVA_MECA_7292311##In the end, the Brewers coach Robert Matano aimed a jibe at his K’Ogalo counterpart Johnathan McKinstry for playing long balls. Matano throws jibe at Gor Mahia’s style of play in wake of barren draw in the clash of titans”You can’t kill a lion with a stone,” the Lion, as Matano is nicknamed, joked after the match.Mathare United fell 1-0 to KCB, while Wazito FC went down by a similar margin at Bandari FC, keeping their quest for evading the chop static. Wazito kept a slender one point advantage over Mathare United at position 15.2. Shame of no prize money The winner of this season’s FKFPL will walk home empty handed. We can wail about it all day and night, but sadly, the situation is a reflection of the depths our league has sunk over the years.Long gone were the days FKFPL was the go to domestic top flight in the region. Today, we can’t even hold a candle to the Ugandan Premier League (UPL), not to mention Ligi Kuu, Tanzania, now one of the best in Africa.Yet, what’s more worrying is the silence of the clubs, who spend millions per season to honor games. Will they ever stand up to give direction and be counted? FKFPL champions to walk home empty handed3. The Green Army is back!Outside the Mashemeji Derby, the fixture between Tusker FC and Gor Mahia was undoubtedly one of the best attended amongst all K’Ogalo games this season.It was delightful to see the Green Army, Gor’s 12th man, throng the stands to cheer their team once again. For the better part of the season, the fans kept off for reasons best known to them, however, it was encouraging to see them back at the most critical stage of the season when their team is chasing a record 20th title.As the organizers of the game, nonetheless, Tusker should feel ashamed for a shambolic ticketing process that saw thousands of fans struggle to gain entry into the stadium as the game went on.Local teams need to find a better ticketing system. The long queues at Nyayo Stadium ahead of a title decider between Tusker (home team) and Gor Mahia are unpleasant to fans. pic.twitter.com/lDuKrBH1dK— Imran Otieno (@Imran_Otieno) May 28, 2023
