The battle for the top spot in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League will continue to gather momentum with top side Kenya Police FC and second-placed Tusker all in action as eight matches will be played across the country from Saturday to Monday.

However, the Brewers will be the first to go into action in the battle for the top spot when they visit Mombasa for a crunch fixture against Bandari on Sunday before the Police confront AFC Leopards in a rescheduled fixture at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on Monday.

Tusker had a great opportunity to leapfrog Police last weekend, but they failed after battling to a comeback 1-1 draw against Shabana. The outcome of the game, which saw the Brewers snatch a late goal, denied them the chance to move to the top of the 18-team table with one point.

However, the Brewers have another chance to move two points clear at the summit for at least 24 hours if they manage to beat the Dockers before the law enforcers take on Ingwe. Ingwe will play the rescheduled fixture following the postponement of their eagerly awaited Mashemeji derby against Gor Mahia that was slated for Sunday.

The Brewers will be seeking to seal a double over the Dockers, having won the first round meeting 1-0. Last season, Tusker hauled six points from Bandari, winning the first-round fixture 1-0 before a 2-1 triumph in the reverse fixture.

In the previous campaign, Bandari won the first-round fixture 2-1, but the Brewers recovered to win 1-0. In the last seven league matches, Bandari have only managed one win against Tusker, with the Brewers winning the other six.

Ahead of the fixture, Tusker has been boosted with the return of central defender Mike Kibwage from injury. Kibwage has been away since the start of the year due to a groin problem. Assistant coach George Maina believes it will be a crucial fixture for the Brewers.

“We are motivated because, always as Tusker, we want to be at the top. This is a crucial game for us, and the players understand this. We have prepared well and are ready to face the fixture,” said Maina, as quoted by the club’s official website.

On Sunday, the Police will return to action, seeking to make amends following their shock 1-0 defeat against Mathare United in their last league assignment on February 20. The defeat, which was the first in 13 matches under coach Etienne Ndayiragije, derailed their push for a maiden league title.

Police will head into the game fresh, having seen their last fixture against Posta Rangers postponed. However, they will be going for revenge, having lost the first round meeting 1-0.

Last season, after Leopards won the first meeting 1-0, the law enforcers responded with a similar result in the reverse fixture. They also met in the FKF domestic Cup, where Police won 1-0 en route to beating KCB 8-7 on penalties to lift the trophy.