Gor to be crowned SPL champions today if they beat Nzoia

Gor Mahia Coach Hassan Oktay in past league action. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Gor Mahia will be crowned SportPesa Premier League (SPL) champions today should they beat Nzoia Sugar in a midweek fixture at Mumias Complex.

The Kenyan champions are sitting pretty at the top of the log with 66 points ten more than second-placed Sofapaka who have also played one match more.

Victory today will push Gor Mahia to 69 points and here no one can catch up with them. The battle will now to a fight for second place.

It has been a roller coaster ride for Gor Mahia since they were edged out of the Confederation’s Cup three weeks ago as they focused on retaining their league title right after that.

The team has not lost in the last five matches where they have picked three wins and two draws and this despite the fatigue of playing week in week out.

Gor Mahia coach Hassan Oktay will be hoping that the prospect of winning the league will be motivation enough for the team as they seek to overcome Nzoia Sugar.

Even with striker Dennis Oliech injured, Oktay still has plenty of options. Former Ulinzi forward Samuel Onyango has been on fire and together with Jacques Tuyisenge have remained focused on scoring goals and leading Gor Mahia to another back to back title.

Nzoia are assured of their place in the top flight next season and have nothing to lose today making them dangerous.

The club recently skipped their match against AFC Leopards owing to a row over the venue. They have remained largely fair through-out the season despite letting go of former head coach Bernard Mwalala.

AFC Leopards are at Machakos Stadium this afternoon hoping to pick maximum points against KCB.

Leopards have had a bad season one they would like to forget as they have just picked at the tail end of it.

The team flirted with relegation for sometime before matters stabilized but the best they can do is a top-eight finish meaning every point counts from now on.

Paul Were’s energy has done well to re-energise the team with his great runs on the flanks. Together with veteran midfielder Whyvonne Isuza, Were has brought out the hunger that was lacking at the den.

Frank Ouna’s KCB will focus on a decent league finish after being bundled out of the SportPesa shield. The team has also made some tremendous improvements in the last two months but need to be consistent going forward.

Fixtures: Sony Sugar v Kariobangi Sharks (Awendo), KCB v AFC Leopards (Machakos), Nzoia Sugar v Gor Mahia (Mumias) and Zoo v Western Stima (Kericho).