High flying Rainbow FC will be looking to open a six point gap at the summit of FKF Division One Zone A Standings when they host Young Bulls in a match slated for Gems Cambridge on Thursday afternoon.Prior to the match, Rainbow are from a 2-1 triumph against Dandora Youth whereas second placed Young Bulls succumbed to a three nil defeat at Nairobi United.Stanley Okumbi is cooking something good. Welcome to the NSL @RainbowFCKenya_ 🫡📹 Courtesy #FootballKE pic.twitter.com/Fe2s9WzgKu— Jeff Kinyanjui (@_JeffKinyanjui) July 11, 2023 Rainbow FC, debutants in the third tier, are currently the most in form team in the championship winning nine of their last ten fixtures. Evans Macharia coached side are unbeaten in four matches last dropping points in a 3-1 defeat to Equity in mid – June.Bulls ,who once had eleven points lead at the top of the log, are aware of the pressure from the fans to turn things around having won one match in seven division one league games and have shipped in nine goals in two games.The Malindi based club are yet to win a match since their 4-1 victory over relegation threatened Kenya Navy in June.From Pressing to Counter-Attacks: Tactical insights from Rainbow FC’s win over Dandora Youth FC##NAJAVA_MECA_7370211##Sudi Nyamawi, Young Bulls custodian, will need to be at his best to deal with the deadly Rainbow forwards as he has failed to keep clean sheet in the last five consecutive games.Bulls will miss the services of dependable players in Shabana Kibwe, club’s leading goal scorer Alex Mdeka and Jay Kibwe who are nursing injuries.A win for Rainbow FC will move them at the helm of the league on 67 points opening a six point gap while Young Bulls could finish the match week out of promotion brackets depending on Nairobi United results.At Stima Club, Nairobi United entertain relegation fighting Vapor Sports in a must win fixture for both , with the sides boosting of contrary performance in the league .Heading into the match , the Naiboi’s have failed to win in four of their previous five matches whereas Vapor Sports remain unbeaten in the last 5 games collecting points from Ruiru Hot Stars, Zetech Titans and recently Equity FC.Speaking ahead of the match, Nairobi United head coach Paul Okatwa termed the match as the biggest of his coaching career and was confident of picking maximum points .” A tough match coming up next, a match I rank high on my list since I started coaching ,this game will determine our season though we are well prepared to fight and pick all three points ,” offered the former Kangemi All Stars coach.Vapor Sports will be without defender Jamin Mungai due to accumulation of five yellow cards.A win for the Nairobi based club could see them return in to National Super League contention suppose Rainbow FC humble Young Bulls.Elsewhere, a relegation battle will proceed at Ruaraka Grounds with Balaji EPZ and Kenya Navy fighting for a place in the league next season.Fourteenth placed Navy will be looking to build on their shock 2-1 win over Kibera Soccer last weekend as Balaji seek a fifth win in seven games .Epz will miss the services of Edwin Owiko, having collected five yellow cards, and coach Andrew Kanuli who has parted ways with the club after barely three months .A win for Kenya Navy will lift them out of the red zone leapfrogging Administration Police who are not in action this weekend.In an early kick off at Woodley Grounds, seventh placed Kibera Soccer play host to fourth placed and out of promotion race Equity FC starting at 1100 AM E.A.T.Both teams have had a poor run of form winning once in their last five league matches , performance that has seen Equity fall out of National Super League promotion chase.A win for any side will only better their position on the league standings .In other division one Zone A matches,Embu based 3K host Dandora Youth at Kagumori Stadium with Ruiru Hot Stars settling scores aganist Olympic Pirates at Isiolo Boys High Grounds and strugglers Malindi Progressive close match day action aganist Zetech Titans in MalindiFKF Division One Zone A Thursday FixturesOlympic Pirates vs Ruiru Hotstars – Isiolo B. H.Sch G. | Isiolo15:00Rainbow vs Young Bulls -Gems Cambridge | Nairobi 13:00Malindi Progressive vs Zetech Titans -Alaskan G. | Malindi 15:00Nairobi United vs Vapor Sports – Stima Club | Nairobi 15:003k vs Dandora Youth -Kagumori G.| Embu 15:00Balaji EPZ vs Kenya Navy – Ruaraka G. | Nairobi 15:00Kibera Soccer vs Equity -Woodley Grounds | Nairobi 11:00FKF Div One Zone B: Zoo FC, Luanda Villa SC in action as promotion race heats upAll eyes are on Football Kenya Federation division one Zone B turn to the top of the table, where the promotion race is heating up and any of the top three in Green Commandos,Zoo FC and Luanda Villa SC have a chance to grab the coveted National Super League slot.In Kericho, Zoo FC are in action aganist in form Bungoma Superstars at Kericho Green Stadium with top spot in sight for Herman Isekhwa charges.Prior to the match ,second placed Zoo are on a winning run of six matches in a row lastest coming in a 2-0 win over Sigalagala Poly FC last weekend .The former FKF Premier League outfit last lost a match in May succumbing to a 2-1 defeat aganist MOFA FC.Both teams have fared quite well with Bungoma Superstars basking on a perfect run of form collecting maximum points from the last three league games . Speaking ahead of the match , Superstars head coach Fransic Juma sent a stern warning to Zoo FC noting that his troops are out to spoil Zoo’s promotion chances.” We have had a rough season and the boys responded very well to it . The team has picked up well ,we do understand what the match means to them (Zoo ) but to us it’s a normal fixture that we must win . Zoo should expect pushovers ,” offered Juma.A win for Zoo FC,who have kept clean sheet in three consecutive games , will lift them top of the table level on points with Green Commandos on 55 points .Elsewhere, Transfoc FC host third placed Luanda Villa in a match pencilled at Ndura Sports Complex,Kitale with Transfoc aiming at their first third successive win this season .Heading into the match ,Tom Tera has played down pressure mounting on his charges and rather emphasized on importance of treating each match as a cup final .” We are not under any pressure to win , of course this is a final as we agreed with the boys and we must get maximum points,” stated the former AFC Leopards Midfleder.The Luanda based club are on a run of ten division one league games without defeat and will be seeking to extend the streak to eleven as they mount a chase for National Super League promotion .Luanda Villa will be without dependable centre back Vincent Mulama who is attending to family issues.At Afraha C grounds, fourteenth placed GDC Nakuru stage a league survival battle as they settle scores aganist out of form Nyota FC.Prior the match,the media house owned Nyota FC have lost three league matches in a row latest coming in a one nil humbling at home by Muhoroni Young, Bungoma Superstars and Zoo FC also collecting maximum points against them .GDC Nakuru approach the match determined to record a second win in the eighth attempt with league survival at stake . A win for the Nakuru club will lift them out of the red zone with three rounds remaining to close of business in the third tier.In other division one Zone B matches, Muhoroni Young play host to George Lio’s MOFA at Muhoroni Stadium with both teams in poor run of form managing one win in the last four games.At Sigalagala Poly grounds, Bondo United settle scores aganist Sigalagala Poly FC.FKF Division One Zone B Thursday Fixtures Sigalagala Poly FC vs Bondo United – Sigalagala Poly groundsTransfoc vs Luanda Villa SC – Ndura Sports ComplexGDC Nakuru vs Nyota FC – Afraha C groundsZoo FC vs Bungoma Superstars – Kericho Green StadiumMuhoroni Young vs MOFA FC – Muhoroni Stadium.All matches Kick off at 1300 hrs EAT
