Nairobi City Stars beating Sofapaka 2-1 meant that after round nine, only Mathare United left without a win even though the former champions have only played five games.After a long absence, Muhoroni Stadium in Kisumu County hosted a high profile match pitting hosts Wazito FC against AFC Leopards. The fixture brought a lot of excitement amongst the locals who thronged the stadium to have a taste of the game.Back in the city, the making of a potentially fierce derby took place at the Kasarani Stadium where Police FC and Ulinzi Stars played to a scoreless draw. The hype around the fixture that was christened “Marisasi” was top notch.Here are some of the things we learnt from the round of nine.1. Tusker are not, after all, invincible The Brewers’ blistering start to the season, which saw them record six straight wins, made it look like they will be unstoppable in this campaign. At a time many teams still lacked cohesion, with general fitness still low, the Ruaraka-based side was on a roll, playing with fluidity as they crushed opponents almost literally. Top dogs Tusker share spoils with resolute Nzoia SugarHowever, a visit to Mombasa last week to face Bandari in round eight served them a cold reminder that the league is not a sprint, but a marathon as they lost 2-1 to the hosts. This was followed by a barren draw against Nzoia Sugar FC in Week 9.2. “Got Alila” will be a hard hunting ground for visitors Muhoroni Stadium, also called Got Alila, has never been an easy hunting ground for visiting teams, and the trend looks set to continue. Now playing hosts to Wazito FC, the stadium serves an intimidating atmosphere you will not find in bigger fields like Nyayo or Kasarani Stadiums, owing to its small size and fans nearness to the action. ##NAJAVA_MECA_6945032##Wazito have so far used it for two games, drawing one against Bidco United and winning against AFC Leopards. 3. Maybe AFC Leopards need divine intervention For a team that was to challenge for the league and put to an end a near three decade wait for the FKFPL title, it’s baffling how Ingwe has dropped down the pecking order so fast, so early.The coach Patrick Aussems’ outfit has only won twice in eight fixtures; drawing the same number of matches and losing four. The team’s last two games have all been losses. Aussems rues individual mistakes in Ingwe’s loss to WazitoAccording to grapevine, Aussems could be on his way out as the management is feeling the heat from impatient fans.Like Arsenal fans, maybe it’s time for the Ingwe faithful to organize prayers for their club.4. Gor is coming, clear the wayK’Ogalo’s momentum seems to be picking up at the right time. The multiple Kenyan champions bagged a crucial away win at Kakamega Homeboyz FC to move two points away from table leaders Tusker, who have played a game extra. The victory was the coach Johnathan McKinstry’s side’s second on the bounce.For an experienced campaigner like Gor Mahia, you don’t want them to be breathing down your shoulders, and Tusker must be jittery. Gor edge Homeboyz as Yakhama hat trick seals victory for Talanta over Mathare5. You don’t want to loss to Bandari You just can’t hide when you’re losing against Bandari, the Dockers are very loud especially on social media, where they troll their victims with wit. The last two rounds have been good for them in terms of performance as they picked maximum points against Tusker and Vihiga Bullets. For some good football banter, find Bandari FC on Social media and like their pages.”Yaani ukubali utapigwa, Yaani ukatae utapigwa tu! Tutarudi Aprili kuwazika” 🤞Tamati: Vihiga Bullets 0 V 2 Bandari FC #BandariNiYetu #KUMEKUCHA pic.twitter.com/SMO8TPB60D— Bandari Football Club (@BandariOfficial) January 15, 2023
