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Category: Kenyan Sports

  • Marathon World Record Holder Kelvin Kiptum Dies in a Road Crash

    Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum, the holder of the men’s marathon world record at 24 years old, tragically passed away in a car accident on Sunday evening, February 11.

    Alongside him, his coach Gervais Hakizimana from Rwanda also lost his life in the accident on a road in western Kenya.

    Kiptum emerged as a significant figure in marathon running in 2023, rivaling fellow country man Eliud Kipchoge, one of the sport’s greats.

    Notably, Kiptum surpassed Kipchoge’s achievement in Chicago last October, completing the 26.1 miles in two hours and 35 seconds.

    Both athletes were poised to represent Kenya in the marathon at the upcoming Paris Olympics.

    Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for sports Ababu Namwamba expressed profound grief, calling Kiptum a “special gem” and remarking on the loss for Kenya.

    Those sentiments were shared by Raila Odinga, Kenya’s opposition leader and former prime minister, who hailed Kiptum as a “true hero” and mourned the loss of a remarkable individual and icon in Kenyan athletics.

     

  • Olunga Scores Brace as Harambee Stars Thrash Seychelles 5-0

    Harambee Stars thrashed Seychelles in their second fixture of World Cup 2026 qualifiers at the Stade Félix Houphouët Boigny in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Monday, November 20.

     

    Stars run riot in the opening ten minutes as Michael Olunga pounced on a miscued back pass from Seychelles defender Elie Sopha to slot a low driven shot past Carlos Simeon to claim his first goal in the third minute.

     

    The Al-Duhail striker was red hot as he bagged his second of the match when a flick of the ball helped it to the lanky striker’s path with Olunga making no mistake with his cool and finish to put Kenya 2-0 ahead.

     

    Olunga had the chance to complete a first half hat-trick when he managed to wriggle his way through on goal but the Seychelles shot-stopper denied him the opportunity.

     

    Things got heated near the half-hour mark when Seychelles’ Helton Monay was carded for his troubles as he fouled Stars’ Richard Odada who was not pleased with the challenge.

     

    With the resumption of play, Olunga had another to complete a first half hat-trick when Eric Johana quickly released him with a quickly taken freekick but the Seychelles shot-stopper denied him yet again to keep the scoreline 2-0.

     

    Firat’s side ended the half strongly when Johanna caught the Seychelles defenders unawares with a quickly taken throw-in to find Masud Juma who was alert to the situation to bag his second goal of the campaign and Stars third of the game.

     

    Marcelo’s brilliant showing was short lived as he was withdrawn during half time with Abud Omar coming on for the AIK left back.

     

    Olunga opened the second half on the same note forcing Simeon to an early save after he was found brilliantly by the newly introduced Abud Omar.

     

    Omar was in the thick of the action yet again as his cross ricocheted off a Seychelles defender to land on Olunga’s path with the Stars captain hitting the post before the ball landed to Johanna who sent it wide in the 53rd minute.

     

    Seychelles made a triple substitution nearing the hour mark with Kenan Nourice coming on for Monay as winger Brandon Labrosse and Majid Freminot came on for Rhio Damoo and Elie Sopha respectively.

     

    Substitute Omar finally got to have his say as his cut-back cross found Rooney Onyango at the edge of the box as he slotted it far corner to give Kenya a comfortable 4-0 lead.

     

    Firat made a double substitution minutes later as dependable winger Ayub Timbe came on for the relentless Johanna while Benson Omalla rested the third goal scorer Masud.

     

    The substitution quickly paid off as Omalla soon found the back of the net after Rooney applied pressure to rob a Seychelles defender before setting up his club teammate in the 73rd minute.

     

    It could have been 6-0 in favour of Harambee Stars in the 83rd minute but Omalla’s would be second goal was overruled for offside as Firat’s side saw out the game for 5-0 win.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Harambee Stars Suffer Defeat in Qualifiers Opener

    Harambe Stars suffered a setback in their journey back to international football, falling 2-1 to Gabon in a challenging away match on November 16, 2023, in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers.

    The encounter against Gabon started positively for the Harambe Stars, securing an early lead with Masoud Juma’s goal in the 40th minute. However, defensive vulnerabilities surfaced as Gabon responded with vigor. Denis Bouanga equalized for Gabon in the 60th minute before Guelor Kanga’s late strike sealed the victory in the 88th minute.

    Since their resurgence in competitive play, the Harambe Stars faced a series of mixed outcomes. Win against Qatar and draw against Russia were contrasted by losses to Iran, S. Sudan and Mauritius. Despite flashes of promise, persistent challenges like a lack of creativity and defensive vulnerabilities have hindered the team’s progress.

    The match against Gabon exposed these concerns further. Despite initially leading with Masoud Juma’s goal, the team struggled defensively and lost momentum, leading to their defeat. The upcoming match against Seychelles in the World Cup qualifiers presents a crucial chance for the team to bounce back and revive their campaign.

    The Harambe Stars encounter an uphill battle as they strive to establish themselves on the international stage. With the upcoming match against Seychelles, the team aims to rectify their errors and reignite their journey in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

     

     

  • FKFPL: Posta Lead the Chasing Pack Chaos Ensue at Gor v Seals Game

    [Photo courtesy of official_gmfc]

    FKF Premier League leaders, Posta Rangers dropped points as they were held to a 1-1 draw away to AFC Leopards at the Ulinzi Sports Complex on Saturday.

     

    The mailers fought back to cover their early minute blemishes as they conceded in the third minute courtesy of a Kaycie Odiambo strike.

     

    The leaders however maintained their position as neither defending champions Gor Mahia nor newcomers Murang’a Seal capitalized on the dropped points.

     

    Both teams played to a heated barren draw at the Kasarani stadium as full-time whistle saw chaos as K’Ogalo supporters hurl objects at the center referee for what they termed as poor officiating before turning their attention to jubilant Seals supporters.

     

    The police had to lob teargas to disperse the rowdy crowd as journalists, players and match officials took refuge on the pitch side.

     

    Elsewhere, KCB closed the gap on the leaders with a 3-0 win against Bidco United while troubled Shabana climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 against Nzoia Sugar.

     

    Posta sit at the top going into the international break, a point a drift both of Gor Mahia and Murang’a Seal while Sofapaka woes continue at the bottom of the log.

  • K’Ogalo go Level With League Leaders Posta Rangers

    [Photo courtesy of official_gmfc]

    The defending champions, Gor Mahia, drew level with FKF Premier League leaders Posta Rangers on 19 points after securing a narrow 1-0 victory against a 10-man Shabana during Wednesday’s clash at Kasarani Stadium.

    Ronny Onyango was the toast of the day after his stoppage-time strike secured maximum points for K’Ogalo to sink Shabana into more troubled waters.

    In other fixtures, troubled AFC leopards failed to build on their first win of the season as they were held to a barren draw at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.

    Formerly bottom of the league Sofapaka stunned KCB 3-0 with goals from Ali Khalid, Abdul Razak and Asembaka to send the Batoto Ba Mungu ahead of Shabana and Nzoia Sugar in 16th place on the log standings.

    Tusker FC added to head coach Robert Matano’s woes as they fell 1-0 to Ulinzi stars at the Ruaraka Stadium courtesy of a Boniface Muchiri strike.

    Other midweek fixtures saw a barren draw between Talanta FC and Nzoia Sugar as Bidco United sank Muhoroni Youth 3-0 while Bandari FC edged Police FC 3-2 at the Mbaraki Sports Club.

    League leaders Posta Rangers will face Homeboyz test at the Bukhungu Stadium later today.

  • KPL Round 7 Review: Gor Close Gap on Rangers as Leopards Remain Winless

    [Photo courtesy of official_gmfc]

    Defending Champions Gor Mahia closed the gap on league leaders Posta Rangers after a Narrow 1-0 win against Tusker FC on Sunday at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani.

    Benson Omalla scored the games solitary goal to take K’Ogalo a point closer to Posta who tasted their first defeat of the season at the hands FC Talanta in a 3-1 thrashing.

    In other matches Sofapaka registered their first win of the campaign after handing Zdravko Logarušić his first taste of defeat as Police FC head coach after two successive wins.

    The win leaves AFC leopards as the solitary club yet to register a win this season after they were handed a 1-0 loss at the hands of Bandari at the Mbaraki Sports Club courtesy of a Derick Nsibambi goal.

    Other fixtures saw a barren draw between Bidco United and Muranga Seals as KCB played a one-all draw against Ulinzi Stars while Shabana drew 2-2 to City Stars.

     

    KPL WEEKEND RESULTS

    Talanta 3-1 Posta Rangers

    Sofapaka 1-0 Police FC

    KCB 1-1 Ulinzi Stars

    Kariobangi Sharks 1-0 Muhoroni Youth

    Nzoia Sugar 0-1 Kakamega Homeboys

    Bandari 1-0 AFC Leopards

    Bidco United 0-0 Muranga Seals

    Shabana 2-2 City Stars

    Tusker 0-1 Gor Mahia

     

     

  • Renewed Banter in the Kenyan Premier League

    Football banter is what makes the beautiful game beautiful just as much as the football  played on the pitch itself.

    The banter often involves opposing teams taunting and teasing each other in the build up to the match and after.

    The Kenyan Premier League scene has long had the banter culture on hold for some time but recent weeks has seen a rise in opposing teams taunting and teasing each other.

    At the forefront of this has been the defending champions, Gor Mahia who brought gist to the Mashemeji derby played right before the just concluded international break.

    In the build up to the promising encounter with AFC Leopards, the K’Ogalo social media team made humorous comments on the back of Leopards form, having not won a single match since the start of the season.

    The admin humorously joked about mashemejis recent form in head-to-head encounters with the defending champions sharing images of a Leopard in distress with its head stuck in a pot and another image of a Leopard stuck in a well.

    The Leopard being the emblem of AFC leopard was to signify the troubled waters the Thomas Trucha-led outfit find themselves in.

    Since then, other KPL teams have joined in on the bandwagon mostly at the expense of AFC Leopards most notably Bandari FC.

    In the build up to their match with Bandari, Leopards played in a friendly match with Zoo Kericho which they lost.

    Bandari social media team was quick to hilariously  point out the result and assure the den’s faithfuls that the result was a foreshadowing of the flogging they will receive at the hands of the coast based  team.

    K’Ogalo yet again was at the forefront ahead of their showdown with Tusker FC in the KPL’s most played fixture with the team’s Instagram admin posing a question to their fans  on whether they could imagine consuming 98 bottles of the alcoholic beverage Tusker in reference to the amount of Goals that Gor has scored against the former champions.

    With K’Ogalo poised to take on Tusker FC later today at the Kasarani stadium  as Leopards take on Bandari, it remains to be seen the twists and turns the banter will take with 3 points on the line as well as bragging rights.

  • Nyamweya Cries Foul Play in FKF Elections Preparations

    Former FKF president, Sam Nyamweya and 47 County Football Associations officials have called on Sports Cabinet Secretary, Ababu Namwamba to provide a clear road map on the Football Kenya Federation elections.

    The officials led by their chairman hosted the FKF President Emeritus in Nakuru on Sunday, October 15 to discuss matters affecting football in the country.

    The grassroots football leaders have expressed their concern on the lack of a clear communication on the elections as they want the elections slated for February 24, 2024 be moved to January 24.

    The officials have urged the Sports CS to ensure that the elections are conducted under the Sports Act citing that there is mischief in the process leading up to it.

    So far the former FKF president is joined in the race for the federation’s top seat by Gor Mahia Secretary General Samuel Ochola, former Kenya international Sammy ‘Kempes’ Owino and Hussein Mohammed, associated with the Super 8 Tournament.

    Incumbent Nick Mwendwa will not be defending his seat after serving the mandatory two, four years terms

  • Kenya Set to Host CHAN 2024 in Addition to AFCON 2027

    [Photo courtesy of CAF online]

    Kenya has been chosen to host the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in September 2024, alongside the previously announced hosting of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

    The Executive Office of the President confirmed the news on October 10th through a Cabinet dispatch.

    It’s worth noting that Kenya had previously been selected to host the 2018 edition of CHAN but was later disqualified due to inadequate infrastructure that didn’t meet FIFA’s standards..

    Kenya is set to host several football tournaments, including the CECAFA Under-18 Championship and the AFCON Under-15 CECAFA Region Championship in November and December 2023.

    To enhance the country’s sports infrastructure for the upcoming AFCON 2027, the Cabinet has given the green light for various construction and renovation projects.

    These initiatives include the construction of the Talanta Sports Complex and substantial upgrades to Nyayo National Stadium, Moi International Sports Centre – Kasarani, and Kipchoge Keino Stadium.

    As part of this endeavor, Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba transferred the responsibility for these projects to the Ministry of Defence, leading to the temporary closure of the three stadiums.

  • East Africa Pamoja Bid Prevails

    [Photo courtesy of CAF online]

    Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania have been granted the privilege to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following a collaborative bid by East African nations.

    The joint effort, dubbed “The Pamoja bid,” competed against Egypt, Senegal, and Botswana.

    The announcement was made on September 27 by the President of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe. Motsepe emphasized the importance of these three nations meeting specific requirements, including freedom of movement and infrastructure support as ealuation teams will assess their progress.

    In response to Kenya’s successful bid, the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Ababu Namwamba, assigned the Nyayo National Stadium, Moi Sports Centre Kasarani, and Kipchoge Keino Stadium to the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) for renovation, with the aim of hosting the 2027 AFCON.

    The challenge now is to complete these four projects by 2025, as Kenya previously missed out on hosting opportunities due to stadium standards not meeting FIFA criteria in 1996 and 2018.