Champs Butali keen to teach Strathmore hockey lessons

Butali's Kenneth Nyongesa reacts for the ball when they played Strathmore in the premier men at City park on 05/03/16 [PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE]

Kenya Hockey Union men’s Premier League champions Butali Warriors lock horns today with former holders Strathmore University's Gladiators at City Park.

Butali will be looking to extend the good run against the struggling Gladiators who are currently one place above the relegation zone.

While the sugar millers will be hoping to maintain the unbeaten run, the students will be chasing their fourth win this season.

The defending champions top the standings with 27 points 17 more than the 2016 winners who are eighth.

The two sides have played two matches each with Butali chalking eight wins and three draws while the students have won three, lost seven and drawn one.

Going into today’s clash, Butali captain Kenneth Nyongesa said they will be going for nothing but maximum points.

“We want to continue winning because that is the only way we will succeed in defending our title.

“We don’t look down on any of our opponents based on previous matches and against Strathmore, it will not be different because we need victory to move us closer to achieving our goal,” Nyongesa said.

Butali are favourites to win today’s match having dominated Gladiators in the past winning six out of their last seven encounters with the seventh ending in a 1-1 draw.

During the first leg this season Butali thrashed Strathmore 7-0.  

In another men’s Premier League match, United States International University of Africa (USIU-A) will take on Greensharks tomorrow.

A win for third placed Sharks will see them narrow the gap between them and second on the log Wazalendo who will not be in action this weekend.

In the women’s Premier League title chase, debutants Lakers will host winless Kenyatta University (KU) Titans in Kisumu.

This clash will pit two sides with contrasting fortunes. While newcomers Lakers will be out to maintain their unbeaten record, Titans will be hoping to finally get it right and register their first win this campaign.

Titans who returned to the Premier League after winning the women’s Super League title last season have had a poor run and risk demotion to the second tier.

They are second from the bottom tied on two points with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) who lead from the wrong end of the table.

Titans will be hoping to overturn the 1-0 first-leg loss to Lakers in April this year.

At City Park, Strathmore Scorpions will take on JKUAT who are yet to taste victory.

Scorpions who are third with 15 points will be out to extend the dominance over JKUAT who they have beaten in all their past meetings with their recent one being a humiliating 9-0 victory in the first leg.

Tomorrow, Amira Sailors will play USIU-A Spartans.