COVID-19 sure has welcomed the new decade with a blast. Be it grand or intimate, all events in the world were left with no choice but to halt for quite some time. In the same vein as Kenya’s national sporting activities, only a deferral could save them.
Now this March 2021, Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta has once again suspended all sporting events in the country indefinitely. According to his issued public order No. 2 of 2021, this is a preemptive measure to the surge of new cases due to COVID-19’s third wave.
At this point, the country’s highest football leagues, FKF (Football Kenya Federation) Premier League, National Super League, and Kenyan Women Premier League, had begun and are now at different stages. Worst of all, not only will the football clubs and the national team be affected, but so do the fans and punters of online sportsbooks such as Sportsbet.io.
As confirmed with the Goal, the world’s largest online football publication, FKF President Nick Mwendwa is currently in the midst of discussion with the Ministry of Sports. He shared that both parties are open to creating proposals regarding the adherence to the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 rules and regulations.
Mwendwa is determined to resume the top-flight league saying, ‘I am sure it will not take time, the league will return soon, all they want us to do is what we have been doing before, we are ready to improve where we failed, and our intentions are to have action back.’
To ensure that everything is according to plan, he also confirmed that all FKF Premier League players should be vaccinated by the time it restarts.
FKF’s 5 leading teams
Now that the ball is briefly on hold, let’s have a short recap of the league’s current leading teams and statistics. The suspension of the 2019-20 season promptly declared Gor Mahia as the champions due to topping the overall standings. This year, it looks like Tusker’s 36 points are closer to getting the title.
- Tusker — 36 points
- Kenya Commercial Bank Sports Club (KCB) — 30 points
- AFC Leopards — 29 points
- F.C. Kariobangi Sharks — 28 points
- Bandari — 27 points
Team changes
Football in Kenya follows a three-tier league system: provincial, county, and sub-county leagues. Below are the teams that were promoted from and relegated to the Super League.
Promoted from the Super League
- Nairobi City Stars: Currently ranks #10 with 20 points
- Vihiga United F.C.: Currently ranks #16 with 11 points
Relegated from the Premier League
- Kisumu All Stars
- Chemelil Sugar FC (disbanded)
2020-21 statistics
As of March 2021, Sharks’ Erick Kapaito is the league’s top scorer, bearing 14 goals and just three points ahead of Elvis Rupia of the AFC. Tusker’s midfielder and finest player Jackson Macharia has made six points, which places him in sixth alongside City Star’s Anthony Kimani.
Although Rupia is the second top scorer, he is the first of the two players in the league with the most number of hat tricks. That was when AFC secured a 3-0 win in a December 12 match with Sofapaka. Speaking of Sofapaka, the second footballer on the stats is Lawrence Juma. The team had a victory of 4-2 in the January 12 match against Mathare United.
The player with the most clean sheets is James Saruni of Ulinzi Stars, a total of eight. Since the season is not yet finished, seven clean sheets of Bandari’s Justin Ndikumana still has a lot of potential. The third spot, however, is five clean sheets. It’s a tie between Steve Njunge, Benjamin Ochan, and Joseph Okoth of City Stars, AFC, and KCB, respectively.
Have you decided where and who to place bets on in online betting sites like Sportsbet.io? We’ll leave your final judgment with the season’s stats above. Make sure to get all the odds right because you will be in for a treat!
