Sofapaka won their maiden and final Kenyan Premier League title to date in 2009 and for a good spell they cut an image of a third force alongside Tusker FC outside the Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards hegemony in the local club football scene.The club’s fortunes, however, started to dwindle in 2016 after the club owner, Elly Kalekwa, a Congolese by roots, started facing a myriad of challenges that led to him being allegedly deported from Kenya after run-in with authorities, although he is on record denying this. The flamboyant businessman has since struggled to restore the old order at Sofapaka.The exit of Supersport as the league’s broadcast partner in 2020 only made things worse not only for Sofapaka, but for most clubs. The South Africa-based broadcaster pumped in close to Ksh 300 million per season into the Kenyan Premier League (KPL), ensuring a steady income for the clubs.With no steady source of income, Sofapaka like many top-flight clubs like Mathare United are now a pale shadow of their former selves. Known to attract top talents from within and across Africa during the glory days, the Batoto Ba Mungu are now barely surviving with players going months without salary.##NAJAVA_MECA_6900602##Five weeks into the new Football Kenya Federation Premier League, FKFPL and Sofapaka are yet to pick a win, an illustration of how a giant has fallen. The team, now under coach David Ouma, has lost twice and drawn thrice.”There are many factors that could be contributing to the poor run, one of them, of course, being nonpayment of players,” a close source told Mozzart Sport. “By the end of December, we would have gone seven months without salary, it’s a tough situation we’re in, and you can’t entirely blame the players for the poor performance. “Sofapaka are without a sponsor after their five-year deal with a betting firm, which earned them Ksh 77 million in the past two years, ended in July this year.KNVB’s finest Francis Kimanzi wary of Bottom Up U19 Tournament timelinesYet, according to another source, some of the games they lost or drawn they could have won with better tactics. “When you’re leading late into a game, it’s only natural you protect the lead, but that has not been the case. In some instances, the technical bench has made questionable substitutions, throwing in more attackers, when the team should be defending leading to the team conceding.”There are also claims of lack of teamwork in the technical bench.Efforts to get a comment from coach David Ouma have not been fruitful with his phone going unanswered for two days.Sofapaka return to action on Wednesday in a midweek clash against fellow strugglers Police FC at the Kasarani Annex.
