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Homeboyz confident of winning KPL crown but wary of closest challengers

Tuesday, January 28th, 2020 00:00 | By
Kakamega Homeboyz players in a celebratory jig at a past Kenyan Premier League match. Photo/PD/FRED LIKUYANI

Kakamega Homeboyz were once considered as also-rans in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) but the team now has every right to believe it can defy the odds and clinch their maiden silverware.

The team, under the tutelage of Nicholas Muyoti, laid bare its intentions to win the title after it climbed to the summit of the league, thanks to a priceless 2-1 win over Kariobangi Sharks in Kasarani at the weekend.

Muyoti heaped praises on his charges for their right attitude and mental strength but cautioned them against being carried away by the string of positive results.

“In as much as there is no reason to fear the bigwigs in the league, it would be wrong for us to relax as the league is far from over.

The idea here is for my players to take each game at a time and keep working hard to get more positive results,’’ said Muyoti.

The tactician reiterated that the league title is wide open and that six of the top teams have an equal chance of being crowned champions

“The league is far from won and at this point, I cannot pinpoint who are our challengers for the crown.

If you look at the league statistics, few points separate the six frontrunners which is why I cannot rule out a photo finish at the end of the season,’’ he said.

Homeboyz’s weekend’s conquest was at the expense of third-placed Tusker who relinquished a 10-day lead after settling for a one-all draw with Ulinzi Stars at home.

Tusker’s misfortune also benefitted Gor Mahia, who did a lot more by thrashing Bandari 3-0 at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru to leap from third to the second position on the log and with two matches at hand over their three closest challengers.

However, the main talking point of the weekend was the nightmarish loss by Bandari at the hands of Gor in a result that infuriated the dockers interim coach Twahir Muhiddin.

“It’s utterly disappointing as a coach to watch your team put up a lackadaisical show. Obviously, the players did not have the right intensity although we should have picked a draw at worst had our strikers taken the few chances they created,’’ said Muhiddin, whose team sit in 11th position with 18 points from 17 matches.

For Gor, the result was a big morale booster ahead of their midweek fixture against Sofapaka tomorrow.

Elsewhere, Wazito’s rough patch continued when they fell 3-0 to Posta Rangers. Wazito have now lost seven consecutive matches which is bound to worry their fans.

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