Tough league race: Gor Mahia, Tusker all targeting league title despite lows

Gor Mahia's Jacques Tuyisenge and Eugene Asike, left, of Tusker FC during KPL Top 8 Knockout Tournament at Nyayo National Stadium o Sunday, June 12, 2016. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDAD]

Tusker coach Paul Nkata has admitted the difficulty of remaining consistent as the race for the Kenyan Premier League title goes down the wire.

The brewers host Western Stima today at Machakos Stadium and hope to widen the gap between them and second-placed Gor Mahia.

”It is too early to consider ourselves as favourites to win the title. Perhaps, we can start thinking about it with three matches to go and for now we are focusing on one match at a time," Nkata said.

“The fact is it has been difficult to be consistent because every team wants to win against you."

Tusker go into this match on the back of a 2-0 win over Mathare United last weekend. That result allowed them to bounce back to winning ways after a similar loss to Thika United.

The brewers beat Western Stima 2-1 in the first leg in Kisumu and will be looking for a double over the power men.

Stima coach Henri Omino goes into this match inspired after being named Coach of the Month for July, a recognition that has left the veteran coach dreaming of his first league title.

Gor Mahia coach Jose Marcelo cannot afford to drop any more points as his side play Posta Rangers tomorrow.

The KPL champions have had a trying second leg that has seen them struggle to win matches. They remain second on the log with 36 points and that has not gone down well with the fans.

But Marcelo has defended his performance insisting that the team is doing their best and better results will start coming soon.

“We are training very hard and giving our best in every match. The truth is every team wants to beat us and are giving 200 percent,” he said.

For Rangers coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno, it is a re-union with a club he handled before and this is one match he will give everything to win considering that he is yet to pick all three points in the second leg.

He has drawn five times and lost once.

Sofapaka, which is at the bottom of the log, will be hoping to get out for the first time as they take on struggling Ushuru at Nyayo Stadium today.

Sofapaka thrashed Nairobi City Stars 5-0 last weekend and that should be enough motivation.