Week 30 of the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) had more than you could ask for in terms of talking points.To start with, after a short while, the table leadership once more changed hands between Gor Mahia and Tusker with just four games to go.Vihiga Bullets FC, after just a season in the top flight, finally kissed the grass after losing their 26th game of the season 0-1 to FC Talanta.Wazito FC swam to safety with a 1-0 victory against Posta Rangers, switching positions with Mathare United, who are now occupying the next available automatic relegation spot.It was a Mashemeji Derby week, and once more the biggest club rivalry in Kenya, if not East Africa, proved its resilience against many odds.Long live Mashemeji Derby Nothing proves the resilience of Kenyan football amidst maladministration better than the Mashemeji Derby. Even at our lowest, this particular fixture still rises to the occasion, sparking the fire of the Kenyan game.It was no different on Sunday when once again, the clash assembled the who is who in the Kenyan society, including President William Ruto at the Nyayo National Stadium for an afternoon to remember.Masterstroke Tactics: How AFC Leopards outfoxed Gor Mahia in the Mashemeji DerbyDespite a section of AFC Leopards fans boycotting the match over a tiff with the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), the terraces were still filled to capacity with Gor Mahia fans showing up in large numbers.It was an outing to remember for Ingwe as they pipped their nemesis 1-2 to end a seven-year winless streak.The league is craving a broadcast partner It’s safe to say that the coming on board of Azam TV for the Mashemeji Derby fixture brought life to the league. The Tanzanian pay television giants also beamed live the fixture between Tusker FC and Kariobangi Sharks on Saturday.For a league that has operated without a serious broadcast partner since 2017, Azam were generous enough to part with Ksh. 8 million for the two games. It shows the potential FKFPL has if well packaged and sold. Azam in turn delivered not only quality production, but took the opportunity to seriously market the two matches and the league in general, bringing back memories of the days of Supersport TV.Just caught up with Azam TV OB Van from Namanga . Gor Mahia vs AFC Leopards is real 🔥 pic.twitter.com/I9baq6BgoX— Coach Ronald Okoth (@RonaldOkoth__) May 12, 2023 Revisit CAF Club Licencing The guidelines were meant to help professionalize club football not only in Africa, but the entire world. While many African countries have made huge steps in implementing them, Kenya has stagnated in that regard and no one is no longer talking about them.A team like Vihiga Bullets in all honesty shouldn’t have featured in the FKFPL. They simply didn’t have the resources to do so. Twice they dished out walkovers and many times they sent out public appeals for help after getting stranded while on away trips.It’s going to the wireTusker FC are back on top with a point cushion after edging out Kariobangi Sharks 1-0, while Gor Mahia failed to win their second successive match, going down 1-2 to AFC Leopards in the Mashemeji Derby.Yet, the title race could get clearer next week when the two sides clash on Sunday. Should Tusker beat Gor Mahia, then they would go four points clear and to a greater extent, secure the title.You cannot afford to blink!Aussems: Gor Mahia could not handle title race pressure##NAJAVA_MECA_7252404##Mathare United’s beautiful story coming to a close?The role Mathare United has played in the development of Kenyan football can never be overstated. Yet, after many years of success which saw them win the 2008 league title, the Slum Boys could for the first time in their history get relegated.Like Bullets, Mathare’s woes are financially intertwined. Where they are presently is a culmination of seasons of barely surviving due to lack of finances. Will they bounce back?Where’s Ulinzi Stars competitive edge Apart from Tusker FC, Ulinzi Stars have been one of those rare institutional clubs that have been competitive in Kenyan football for a while now. Yet, lately, they seem to have lost their bearing.Bidco United upstage Ulinzi Stars at Kasarani AnnexWatching the Soldiers play you feel lost. Their brand of combative football that set them apart and won them accolades is gone. They now kick about like scared rabbits about to be slaughtered. The team can now be beaten by any serious side, including Bidco United who thumped them 3-0 on Monday. It’s terrible. Can Ulinzi Stars regain their lost touch?
