Will Barry return to haunt Sofapaka? 

Kakamega Homeboyz will be angling to prove a statement when the teams come up against  Sofapaka at Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega in one of the eight Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League mid-week matches lined up at various venues in the country today.

Homeboyz, who are overly hopeful to be in the title race matrix, have a lot in their hands when they host a youthful  Sofapaka side that almost gave record champions Gor Mahia a run for their money in a barren draw in Nairobi last weekend.

Despite Abana Beingo having lost some of its tenacity at some point in the new season, head coach John Baraza has remained optimistic about taming a team he played for and later coached before testing his waters in several other dug-outs.

And Baraza, whose team sits in the sixth position in the standings, has said in no uncertain terms that he will be in no mood to dish out favours to his former employers.

“This is not just another game since it’s against a team which I used to call home. Of course, camaraderie may still be there but I’m at Homeboyz to deliver as a coach and as such, it would be wrong to extend countenance to my former colleagues,” said Baraza.

Last weekend, Homeboyz failed to live up to expectations when they were held to a one-all draw by FC Talanta, but Baraza declared that they are unfazed by the result and are focusing on the game against Batoto Ba Mungu and indeed the rest of the season’s fixtures. “We are confident of rediscovering our mojo after that blip. Every fixture is tough and competitive and we have no choice but to handle the pressure well.  Let me say we have sufficient quality to unsettle our opponents,” said Baraza.

Meanwhile, KCB’s surge to the second position in the chart will come under test when they face Posta Rangers in the early kick-off at Kasarani Annex. Already, KCB Coach Zedekiah “Zico” Otieno said his team is geared up for the game against their former equals.  “For us, we are happy with the way we are playing and shall focus on winning every match whether home or away. It may be too early to judge us as potential titlists and shall take each match at a time hoping to get the best out of them. We hope to get good results against Rangers’’ said Otieno.

Despite the congested season, Otieno said they have taken the same in their stride.

“Playing about seven matches in a month is a little bit cumbersome but if you know what you are doing, then the rest is bound to fall in place. I think as KCB, we are on the right track and shall keep our heads high moving forward,” added Otieno.