3K FC desperate to end winless streak in NSL

The early NSL surprise package have now gone six matches without a win despite a strong start for life in the second tier league that saw the Embu-based side top the standings in the early stages of the season.

They have dropped to 13th in the league standings on 20 points, 14 adrift of leaders Nairobi United after 17 rounds.

The newcomers are also reeling from a setback of losing two points that were docked by the FKF Leagues and Competitions Committee following the acts of hooliganism witnessed in their league match against Kibera Black Stars earlier this month.

Chege has backed his side to build positive momentum following a 1-1 draw at home against second-placed APS Bomet last weekend.

The match saw Evans Mwirigi put Bomet ahead in the 68th minute, but 3K FC’s determination paid off when Ronald Karerwa struck a stoppage-time equalizer in front of a packed Moi Stadium in Embu.

“The equalizer against APs Bomet proved that my team has a strong mentality. We conceded early in the second half, but we kept pushing until we got our goal in stoppage time. I feel we deserved all three points,” said Chege.

The tactician however emphasized the importance of focus and clinical finishing when they face the basement club SS Assad, who forfeited their match against MOFA last weekend due to financial crisis.

“If we give our full concentration and capitalize on our chances, I’m confident we will bring home three points. This match is our opportunity to bounce back and get our season back on track,” he added.

Chege’s sentiments were echoed by captain Daniel Wanjala, who demanded they should step up to arrest the blip from turning into a crisis.

“We’ve faced Nairobi United, who are leading the league, and we held them to a draw. We just played APs Bomet, who are second, and we got a point. Before that, we played strong teams like Kibera, Mombasa Elite, Migori, Muhoroni Youth, and Nzoia Sugar. We won once, lost twice, and drew four.

“It has been a difficult stretch, but we are now entering a phase with relatively moderate fixtures, starting with Assad. This could be our turning point,” he said.

Meanwhile, APs Bomet head coach Evans Mafuta believes his team’s lack of mental toughness cost them victory against 3K FC.

“The league is very competitive at this stage. Even teams in the relegation zone are fighting hard, and no match is easy. Against 3K FC, we controlled the game for over 20 minutes after taking the lead, but our mental strength let us down.

“Conceding in stoppage time was disappointing. We need to address that before facing Muhoroni Youth,” Mafuta stated.

APS Bomet are currently second in the standings with 33 points from 17 matches, just one point behind leaders Nairobi United.

Fortune Sacco sits third with 31 points, while Kibera is fourth with 30.

At the other end of the table, Muhoroni Youth, Dimba Patriots, and SS Assad occupy the bottom three positions with 12, 11, and 19 points, respectively.