Rivals Kibera Black Stars clash with Darajani Gogo in Kibera derby

The stage is set and the banter is full blown online as rivals and neighborhood teams Kibera Black Stars and Darajani Gogo clash tomorrow at Camp Toyoyo in a highlight game of the weekend as the National Super League enters Round 15.

Black Stars who have more experience in the second tier and are fighting for promotion in the 2022/23 campaign will be perhaps facing the toughest fixture yet given their opponents of the day know them too well. Ahead of the duel,both Coaches are sounding cautious but still expecting a good game regardless.

Debutantes Darajani Gogo are an impressive eighth in the log with two matches in hand. Caleb Aringa’s side have amassed 15 points in nine matches with a current goal difference of +6. This will be their first competitive fixture against Black Stars who are second on the log with 23 points off 11 matches.

Black Stars Head Coach Evans Ogutu is rallying his players to put aside any sentimentality and focus on the big assignment at hand. “We have to be prepared mentally and I have told my players we will have no room for chats or friendliness. This is an important game for us and we want to get a win. Of course our opponents are also coming in prepared and so far they are holding their own so that is good for them. However we can only focus on ourselves and how we can collect maximum points and so far we have prepared well,”he told People Sport in a phone interview.

Meanwhile another exciting clash pitting neighbors will see leaders Shabana FC travel just less than 20 kilometers to Migori Stadium to face 11th placed Migori Youth FC who have collected 13 points. The Gusii giants currently top have had a rough pair of weeks despite still topping the standings on 25 points. For the first time in this campaign,Sammy Okoth’s men have lost back to back fixtures against Kibera Black Stars and Gusii FC respectively. To add insult to injury,the Club also known as Tore Bobe also lost their Chairman Nyandoro Kambi through an illness. As such,this game seems like a do or die duel for Shabana. In the last seven meetings between the pair, Shabana has two wins as opposed to Migori’s one with four games ending in draws.

Elsewhere, high flying Muranga Seal FC in fourth place hosts Coastal Heroes on position seven in the log at St. Sebastian Park. Seal have 21 points in 10 matches and have won thrice in a row whenever playing at their famed backyard christened the “Slaughterhouse”.With an impressive +10 goal difference and a match in hand,Vincent Nyaberi’s team are still very much in the running for promotion. However they face a team that has lately been on a resurgence in the shape of Heroes who last weekend won 2-0 against MCF to push them to 16 points in the table.

In another game,Mara Sugar in fifth place travels to Ukunda,Kwale County for a date with strugglers SS Assad. The match to be played at Shamu Grounds will offer an opportunity to the 16th placed Coastal lads to come good. Assad have only picked five points off 12 matches and will be coming against the sugar-men on 20 points. Mara’s last match was at Awendo when they beat visitor Silibwet Leons 3-1 while the opposite happened to SS Assad who were walloped 5-1 by Vihiga United away last weekend.