Shabana, Murang’a tussle for NSL title after securing KPL promotion

Shabana FC players celebrate at the final whistle after securing promotion to the FKF- Premier League following their hard-fought 1-0 win over Migori Youth. Shabana secured promotion to the top-tier league with four matches to spare. (PHOTO COURTESY)
With promotion ambitions already sealed, two National Super League (NSL) heavyweights Shabana and Murang’a Seal, are in for an epic title showdown with four matches left before the end of the season.
League leaders Murang’a Seal who
secured promotion after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Coastal Heroes in Mombasa on
Sunday, are level on points with second-placed Shabana, who have a game in hand
and could go top with a win when they face fifth seed Darajani Gogo on Friday
at Camp Toyoyo.
Seal head coach Vincent
Nyaberi is particularly a relieved man after bitter loss in the hands of Wazito FC in
last season's NSL/FKF Premier League playoff on away goals despite fighting
back to force a 4-4 aggregate scoreline.
Nyaberi says Seal fight to secure
all points on offer from the remaining three matches to have fate in their hands
at the end of the season.
“I am glad we have secured
promotion which is a huge relief for us, but the achievement gives us ample
time to focus on winning the title.
“I know it is not going to be
easy given the fact that Shabana have one game at hand and are also on a roll
but we will approach every match as a final and I am confident nothing will stop
us,” he told Citizen Digital.
Elsewhere Shabana head coach
Sammy Okoth is marveling at a rare feat, having helped the Gusii Stadium-based
side return to the Premier League after a near two-decade-long hiatus courtesy
of an invaluable 1-0 victory over fellow promotion hopefuls Migori Youth on
Sunday.
Okoth feels capping their season
with the NSL title will be a fitting end to a perilous journey that saw their
resurgence ambition hit rock bottom in 2014 when they were relegated to
Division One before starting their journey to the top.
“Shabana is one of the few
community clubs that are ardently followed, and managing to return to the
crème-de la crème of Kenyan football is very satisfying.
“The team has been on a
rollercoaster journey, but in the end, achieving promotion is worth every
sacrifice all stakeholders have made.
“We now have one job, and that is
to qualify as champions. We are ready to absorb all challenges along the way.”
The two sides will clash in a
potential title decider on 2nd June at St. Sebastian Park in Murang’a in what
is expected to be a high-octane affair.
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