Sofapaka FC players celebrate with their coach Sam Timbe (lifted up) after winning the Gotv Shield cup at Afraha stadium Nakuru on November15,2014.Sofapaka beat Posta Rangers 2-1.PHOTO:KIPSANG JOSEPH

Congratulations to Sofapaka on beating Posta Rangers in the GOtv Shield final in Nakuru last weekend. It was a game of two halves, a downpour occurring in the second half that denied the fans a chance to see quality football.

The win guaranteed the club two slots to play continental football: the Confederations Cup and Nile Basin Trophy. It will be interesting to see how they handle the two competitions, and remember Sofapaka are the only club to beat an Egyptian team in a continental tie.

The question fans will be asking is whether their team will hold onto their players. Coach Sam Timbe had an outstanding season and has now won two trophies since he took charge.

The outstanding players this season were Enock Agwanda and Clifton Abdul Razak, the latter a marquee signing who came to the club late and has scored plenty of goals.

Frank Nuttal, the coach of the other team representing Kenya in Africa, Kenya Premier League (KPL) champions Gor Mahia, has gone to Scotland for a seven weeks holiday. So who will sign new players while he’s away?

The main thorn in the side of the KPL is the fate of the aborted AFC Leopards/Sony Sugar tie, which is still up in the air and is turning into a farce. The football authorities must get their act together and resolve a situation that has frankly turned into a joke that’s not making anybody laugh.

In the meantime three events happened this week:

The first was the flat rejection by CAF for Kenya hosting the 2017 Africa Cup Of Nations tournament, and right now the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) needs to channel their energies into hosting the 2018 CHAN competition.

The second event was the formation of a committee to look into the proposal of an 18-team league. The committee must take various factors into consideration, the most important being not to compromise the quality of the game.

Congratulations to all the winners at KPL Awards this week. There were plenty of surprises, although respect must go to Sofapaka’s Anthony Ndolo for winning both the Player and Midfielder Of The Year awards to cap an outstanding year.

Credit must also go to Peter Waweru for bagging the Referee Of The Year award. Judging by his performances on the pitch this season, he definitely deserved the accolade and is part of the growing list of very good referees in the KPL.

Regionally, it looks increasingly likely that the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup won’t go ahead this month, as there is no country ready to takeover from Ethiopia, which is a major blow for defending champions Kenya.

Across the border it was sad that Uganda failed to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup Of Nations, and that means there’ll be no East African representation in January’s tournament.

RALLY GOES TO THE WIRE

Naivasha is the centre for local motorsports this weekend as the KCB Kenya National Rally Championship reaches a climax with the 36th Guru Nanak Rally, which is also the final round of what has been a thrilling season for drivers, spectators and organisers.

Much like the Formula One, it’s neck and neck between drivers’ championship leader and defending champion Baldev Chager and his perennial rival Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo. Expect exceptional driving and an element of luck between the two to determine who’ll be champion for 2014.

Meanwhile, Greetings from Abu Dhabi. I’m here for tomorrow’s Formula One Grand Prix, courtesy of Etihad Airways who is also the main sponsor of the race.

This Grand Prix is unique in that it is a day/night race, and apart from being the last race of the season, it is the first event in history to feature ‘double points’ where twice as many points are on offer compared to a normal race. This has been so controversial with both drivers and the teams that Formula one supremo Bernie Ecclestone has decided to scrap it for next season.

So it comes down to current leader Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg on the desert track. Only 17 points separate the two drivers, and with 50 points on offer for the winner, it would take a brave man or woman to predict the drivers’ champion.

One thing is for sure, the second half of the season has belonged to Hamilton; the Englishman not only winning, but his body language compared to Rosberg’s speaks volumes. Hamilton has his tail up, and following disappointments in the past, he’ll use that experience to not mess up his best chance of winning a second title.

Abu Dhabi is not just about the racing. It’s also about the glamour off the track. Celebrities from all over the world have thronged the Emirate. Exclusive parties are being held in clubs and the numerous super yachts docked near the track.

Money is no object for the oil-rich state with the likes of multiple Grammy Award winner Pharrell, rock legends The Who, and pop star Rita Ora headlining various concerts. This weekend also coincides with the open of the Yas Mall, the largest shopping mall in the Middle East.

The Yas Marina track itself is a marvel of modern human engineering. Another circuit designed by Hermann Tilke, it cost $1.322 billion to carve from the desert sands.

It’s the second Formula One track constructed after Bahrain, and it’s unique as the 21 corners pass by the marina and through the exclusive Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi Hotel, which was designed and conceived by New York-based architects Hani Rashid and Lie Anne Couture.

By Stephen Rutto 58 mins ago
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