Promotion hopefuls Kibera Black Stars will kick off the National Super League (NSL) round 23 with a crucial match against Naivas at the Jamhuri Sports Complex this afternoon.The fixture was initially set for Saturday but was rescheduled due to a planned government oversight committee visit to Talanta Sports City Stadium to review construction progress.This match promises to be an exciting encounter, as both teams remain in contention for promotion to the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL).Third-placed Kibera Black Stars find themselves in a familiar position, reminiscent of two seasons ago when they were on the brink of promotion alongside Shabana FC but faltered in the second half of the campaign, ultimately finishing outside the top ten.##NAJAVA_MECA_8773533##This season, despite staying within reach of the leading duo, APS Bomet and Nairobi United, for much of the campaign, Edwin Lavatsa’s side now trails by seven points. A loss to Naivas could further dent their promotion hopes.Yamama, as they are known in their Kibra base, Black Stars have struggled in recent matches. They suffered a 2-0 defeat to Mully Children Family (MCF) and a 2-1 loss to relegation-threatened SS Assad, though they did secure a convincing 4-1 win over Mombasa Stars.“We are not out of the promotion race yet, but the trend is concerning. Everyone is keen to get back on track, starting with Naivas. We have a good record against them, and we believe our strong training sessions this week will give us an edge,” said Kibera assistant coach Iddi Badi.“We had a few setbacks recently, possibly due to integrating new players, but given their quality, we expect them to click starting today. We’ve seen positive signs in training,” he added.FKFPL: Tusker eye top spot as they face resurgent Posta RangersNaivas’ Emmanuel Lunalo, who joined from Mombasa Elite and made an immediate impact by scoring a hat-trick against Nzoia Sugar last weekend, says they are keen to build on the win over the sugar millers.“We had some challenges as a team, and the past two weeks have not gone our way. But we’re glad to be back to winning ways. We’ll give our best and see where the season takes us. Yes, we have a poor record against Kibera, but that was with different players. Our focus is on the prize—three points,” Lunalo told Mozzart Sport.Currently sixth with 32 points, Naivas have a chance to close the gap on Kibera, who hold the last promotion spot, to just four points. However, they must overcome their poor head-to-head record against the Rubis Oil-sponsored side.Naivas have won only once in their last seven meetings with Kibera, who have claimed three victories, with the remaining fixtures ending in draws.Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM.FKFPL title permutations: Will Kenya Police beat serial winners Gor Mahia, Tusker?
