Police face Butali in hockey league play-off at City Park

Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) men's champions Kenya Police will clash with Butali Sugar Warriors in the national league play-offs finals set for next weekend.

Butali booked their final berth following a 4-0 win over Wazalendo in the first semi-final match played at the City Park Hockey Stadium while Kenya Police beat rivals Nairobi Simba 4-1 in floodlit second semis.

Dennis Omwoka put Kisumu-based Butali Warriors ahead in the first half before Swedish import Stoech Joerem, Emmanuel Simiyu and Frank Wanangwe scored Butali's other goals.

Butali coach Cliff Okello was impressed by the result but he remained cautious ahead of the finals.

"We are taking one game at a time," said the tactician, who is hoping to dethrone the policemen.

Police, who are seeking their fourth title in 12 years, must be the luckiest Premier League team this season.

Having struggled for the better part of the year, the officers sealed their play-off place last weekend with a 5-0 win over Western Jaguars.

Willis Okeyo scored the opener in the 16th minute before Brian Saina netted Police's second to neutralise the opposition.

This was a second win for Police over Simba, whom they also denied the Angelo De Souza Memorial trophy following a 6-0 win last month in Mombasa.

In other results, Parklands forced a 2-1 win over Technical University of Kenya (TUK) while Kenyatta University knocked out Park Road 3-0 in a one-sided semi-final match in the second division category.

Next week will also see the return to action of the women's competition pitting Sliders against newly crowned Africa Cup of Clubs champions Telkom Orange.

Strathmore University, who finished fourth in the just-concluded Africa Cup Club championship in Zimbabwe, will lock horns with United States International University-Africa (USIU-A). Winners will join Orange Telkom at the Africa club championships.