Gor play at Nyayo, AFC contend in SA as Starlets rumble in Machakos

By Sean Cardovillis

This is a historic weekend for Kenya’s football clubs on the continent. SuperSport commentator Herbert Mwachiro is our local football analyst on my radio show, and brings us up to speed with what to expect today and tomorrow.

Reigning Kenya Premier League (KPL) champions Gor Mahia face Tunisia’s L’Esperance at the Nyayo Stadium this afternoon in the Champions League first round, first leg clash that is a repeat of the famous 1987 Mandela Cup final that Gor won at Kasarani.

However, while Gor have failed to play in the competition since then, L’Esperance have won the tournament twice and participated in the World Club Championship.

The Tunisians are coached by ex-Dutch international Ruud Krol, who used to coach Orlando Pirates, and they’ve taken this match seriously by going to Qatar for a midweek training camp.

fine scoring form

As for the Kenyans, Danny Sserunkuma has been in fine scoring form.

However coach Bobby Williamson will be sweating on the fitness of goalkeeping hero Jerim Onyango, while David Owino will be missing due to picking up an unnecessary red card.

Kenya’s representatives in the Confederations Cup AFC Leopards were late arriving in South Africa after not having their visas processed on time. They play SuperSport United tonight at Pretoria’s imposing Loftus Stadium, which is also the home of the Blue Bulls Super Rugby team.

Playmaker Allan Wanga’s injury is a huge blow for AFC, with coach James Nandwa already feeling the pressure in the league after having drawn twice, although Paul Were makes a welcome return.

Kenyan sides have not played South African teams in a continental competition since 1993, when Gor played Hellenic in the Caf Cup, and AFC will need to keep a close eye on Senegalese striker Mame Niang, who’s been in scintillating form for Supersport United this season.

Hosts to overturn

There is a women’s international match in Machakos tomorrow, as Harambee Starlets play Rwanda’s She Amavuli, with the hosts needing to overturn a 1 nil first leg deficit their African Women’s championship qualifier.

As for the KPL, Sony Sugar top the standings with two wins out of two and no goals conceded – and with Gor not playing this weekend, Sony have a chance to take control of the league when they play Chemelil tomorrow in Awendo.

There has already been the first coaching casualty of the season: Francis Baraza of Western Stima, following shameful allegations he was soliciting bribes from players to play in the squad.

Ending on a positive note, Kenya has been chosen to host the CHAN tournament, and the stakeholders need to start planning now, as the memory is fresh of the shambolic organisation of the recent Cecafa championship.

The KCB Kenya National Rally Championship Returns To Machakos.

After a tumultuous few weeks for Kenyan motorsport, that nearly saw permanent fallout between the rally drivers and the Kenya Motorsports Federation, the KCB Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) is back this weekend with tomorrow’s KCB Bank Of Africa Machakos Rally.

All appears to be resolved between the two parties, with Malindi winner and Kenya Rally Drivers Association chairman Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo this week urging his members to enter the event.

However a long term solution needs to be found, as the problems in Malindi seemed to stem from a combination of bad planning on behalf of the organisers; bad communication between the drivers, the organisers and Kenya Motorsports Federation (KMSF) officials; along with alleged ‘arrogance’ being leveled at certain officials of the KMSF.

I have tried to get to the bottom of what has really gone wrong in motorsports over the last few years, and to be honest it’s more complicated than we all imagine.

It really is up to all parties to throw their egos away and look at the good of the sport. Last weekend a meeting was held between five KMSF directors and some of the drivers, and according to sources present, a lot was resolved and this should hopefully be the start of a permanent cease-fire.

Machakos is hosting a KNRC for the first time since 2006, and you can expect something special from the county that’s taken by storm through their charismatic governor Dr Alfred Mutua, who’s been in the headlines for the numerous projects he’s implemented since his successful election last year.

Female Hope In Cycling

Congratulations to Helen Kinuthia, who was one of the four automatic qualifiers for this year’s Commonwealth Games, after making the qualification criteria at last weekend’s national triathlon championship in Mombasa.

Kinuthia is the person responsible for the hugely successful North Nairobi Cycle Club, which has active casual rides and organised races nearly every weekend, and is also a highly accomplished cyclist, having competed in international mountain bike races around the world.

She is organising the first ever Laikipia Cross Country international mountain bike stage race in July this year, in which she aims to make it Kenya’s version of South Africa’s ‘Cape Epic’ – the world’s largest mountain bike stage race.

This six-stage event will feature the best of what the beautiful Laikipia plains has to offer, killer climbs, epic descents and searing single tracks.

Expect entries from around the world, and let’s hope the cycling fraternity and the government lend their hand to make this unique event a success.

— The writer is a sport journalist and runs a consulting firm.

–– [email protected]