How Osano's clean sheets are pushing Nairobi City Stars to top four finish

Nairobi City Stars' Goalkeeper Jacob Osano save ball during Premier League match against Ulinzi Stars at Ruaraka Sports Ground on Monday April 18, 2022. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Nairobi City Stars are staring at a top four finish in the 2021-2022 FKF Premier League season with four matches left till the end of the regular season.

City Stars are currently fourth in the standings with 50 points, five points more than they registered in the entire of last season (2020-2021) when they were promoted back to the top tier league from the National Super League.

Simba wa Nairobi as they are commonly referred to were relegated to the NSL in 2016 but were promoted back in 2020.

This season, the team has been registering positive results winning 14 of the 30 matches played so far and the man to thank for the positive result is none other than goalkeeper Jacob Osano.

Osano has had a massive contribution once again as Nairobi City Stars registered a 0-0 draw against champions Tusker FC during their last match played in Ruaraka last Sunday.

Time and again Osano stretched his six-foot-two frame to keep out Tusker’s raids to register a third straight clean sheet, and the fifth in the last six games, to make it 13 games without conceding in his first premier league season.

From his displays, Simba wa Nairobi head coach Nicholas Muyoti now reckons Osano has done enough to warrant a place in the Kenya National team.

“It is very encouraging from Osano. He has been very consistent and so far he has made some very important saves. He deserves a call up to the National Team,” said Muyoti.

Osano made his debut during the second game of the season against Kenya Police, that City Stars won 2-0 at Kasarani Annex.

His premier league debut came a year and a half after he grabbed his maiden game for Simba wa Nairobi against AP Bomet in Kericho in March 2020.

Prior to his premier league debut and big break this season, Osano, a January 2020 signing from Nairobi Stima, was an unused substitute in 16 of the 33 games played in the 2020-21 FKF Premier League season where the club finished seventh with 45 points.

Osano’s 13 clean sheets add on to one other by Stephen Njunge to make it 14 for City Stars so far this season.

Ahead of round 31 action, Osano has clocked 2,340 minutes after completing 26 of 30 games this season.