Category: News

FORMER SOFAPAKA KEEPER PASSES ON

Former Sofapaka FC, Amavubi and Rayon Sports goalkeeper Evariste Mutuyimana has died this morning at home aged 26.

The club confirmed the sad news in a brief statement on their official portal.

“As Rayon Sports officials, we want convey our message of condolences to all the club fans and family following the death of goalkeeper Evariste Mutuyimana this Tuesday morning.”

According to the physical trainerMarcel Lomani, the former Sofapaka and Police FC shot stopper died from breathing complications.

Mutuyimana signed for the Nyanza based side during the 2016/2017 from Kenyan Premier League side Sofapaka.

He actively played for Rwanda’s national team Amavubi between 2006-2007.

As a show of respect and honour to him, Sofapaka FC players will put on the black arm band and observe a minute of silence before kick off on tomorrow’s match and Sunday’s.

SOFAPAKA CONSOLIDATE SPOT AT THE TOP OF THE LEAGUE

Sofapaka are literally unstoppable and seem determined to ensure that they reclaim the Kenya Premier League (KPL) title they last won in 2009.
After hammering Chemelil Sugar 4-1 at the Narok Stadium last Sunday, Sofapaka who are second in the league chart moved to within six points of leaders Gor Mahia.
The Green Army are sitting pretty at the summit after having earlier dismissed Nzoia Sugar 4-0 at their their second fortress at Moi Stadium in Kisumu.
Following the weekend results, Gor are 47 points while Sofapaka’s haul is 41 points with the league seemingly headed for a photo-finish amongst the two front-runners.
The idea of Sofapaka’s Ugandan coach Sam Ssimbwa to recommend a rebuilding process to the management in which the team signed a record thirteen players during the June transfer window seem to  be paying dividends.
Fast forward three months later, Sofapaka who once hovered in the mid-table have suddenly sprung to life and are now taking a stab to the KPL title whose winner shall represent the country in the 2018 Africa Champions League.
“We may have signed many players, but this is only because we are looking at balance in the team and to increase our depth. We want to win the KPL title and we need many hands on deck to do it,” said Ssimbwa.
The raft of changes in Sofapaka’s playing unit have not been in vain as the team has been able to produce great players like Ugandan imports Umaru Kasumba, Ali Feni, Rogers Aloro and Mathias Kigonya.
It’s the presence of such marquee signings that pundits feel Sofapaka have every reason to believe the title is there’s to lose and especially given that only six points separate them with Gor..
In retrospect, Kasumba who had been banging goals for Sports Club Villa in Uganda has replicated the same at Batoto Ba Mungu camp and with eight strikes to his name thus far, he is closing in Ulinzi Stars marksman Stephen Waruru who is leading the chart with 11 goals.
Kasumba laid bare his intention to win the KPL Golden Boot Award when he netted a double during Sofapaka’s massacre of Chemelil Sugar at the weekend and once again, he is the man Batoto Ba Mungu will be looking to draw inspiration from as they plot for the downfall of Ulinzi Stars in Kericho tomorrow.
As Sofapaka stalks Ulinzi, the team’s coach John Baraza has declared that they have ab very strong resolve to win the match at all costs so as to bridge the gap with Gor.
“Ulinzi may be a strong team but we are determined to prove that we are champions in the making. We dominated the match against Chemelil on their home turf and I don’t expect that against Ulinzi to be an exception,” said Baraza.
Besides Kasumba, Sofapaka will rely on the likes of Maurice Odipo, Jonathan Mugabi and Morven Otinya to bring the army side down to earth.

STATE OF THE RACE AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE MID-WEEK FIXTURES

Although it’s premature to ascertain which team shall win the 2017 Kenya Premier League (KPL) title, it would be absolutely safe to say that Gor Mahia and Sofapaka have the gong to lose.
Whether by coincidence or design, both teams which are in the front-line seem to know exactly what to do to continue piling points at the expense of others who are below them in the pecking order.
Gor may not have played to the best of their abilities on August 27 against sworn rivals AFC Leopards but the table-toppers merely salvaged a point in a 1-1 draw.
After going back to the drawing board K’ogalo heeded Coach Dylan Kerr’s clarion call to raise their game and they duly exploded at the weekend, thumping their former bogey side Nzoia Sugar 4-0 in Kisumu to remain steadily in contention for the title.
Likewise, Sofapaka did not disappoint as they also handed a football lesson to Chemelil Sugar away by dispatching them 4-1 and as a result restored the six-point they had bridged with Gor going into the weekend fixtures.
Another talking point in the weekend matches is the marksmanship prowess of Jacques Tuyisenge and Umaru Kasumba who netted a brace each that pepped up Gor and Sofapaka respectively.
As it stands, Gor are still at the top of the standings with 47 points followed by Sofapaka with 41 which, making the title race wide open and worth following going into the 24th round of action tomorrow.
Sofapaka have a date with Ulinzi Stars in Kericho tomorrow and according to coach John Baraza, Batoto Ba Mungu have the resolve to win the match to bridge a six-point gap with Gor.
“Ulinzi may be a strong team but we are determined to prove that we are champions in the making. We dominated the match against Chemelil in their home turf and I don’t expect that against Ulinzi to be an exception,” said Baraza.
While Gor and Sofapaka were making a statement of intent, defending champions Tusker continued floundering with a shock 1-0 defeat to Sony in Awendo.
Two weeks ago, Tusker who are placed ninth in the log settled for an uninspiring 1-1 draw with Kakamega Homeboyz and at this rate, it might take divine intervention for the bottlers to retain the title.
In the meantime, AFC Leopards did themselves a big favour in as far as avoiding relegation is concerned by inflicting Zoo Kericho a 3-1 defeat in Kericho.
Ingwe lie in the 13th position on the chart and will certainly need to win more matches to evade the big chop.
Two other teams fighting relegation, Western Stima and Thika United sunk deeper into the quagmire after both lost their weekend fixtures by identical 2-1 margins to Mathare and Kakamega Homeboyz.

SOFAPAKA KEEP TITLE RACE ALIVE WITH 4 – 1 VICTORY OVER CHEMELIL

Red-hot Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title contenders Sofapaka maintained the six-point gap they had bridged with table-toppers Gor Mahia going into the weekend fixtures after they blitzed Chemelil Sugar 4-1 at Narok Stadium.
Gor had taken an overnight nine-point lead following their 4-0 annihilation of Nzoia Sugar in Kisumu on Saturday before Batoto Ba Mungu reduced  it to six points following the thumping win over hapless Chemelil.
Sofapaka were leaving nothing to chance in keeping their title race alive and consolidate their second spot on the log with Ugandan Umaru Kasumba scoring a brace while Ezekiel Okare and Rodgers Aloro contributed a goal each.
By scoring twice to increase his tally to eight goals, Kasumba is a apparently living up to his promise of overtaking KPL top marksman Stephen Waruru of Ulinzi Stars (11 goals) in pursuit of the 2017 Golden Boot Award.
“As I said before, I have set certain bench marks one of which is being at the top of the score chart at the end of the season. I will continue scoring as long as I will be fielded. I must thank my fellow players for their input because were it not for them I would not be scoring,” said Kasumba after the match.
Speaking separately Sofapaka deputy coach John Baraza lauded the players for a job well done but noted that the score line would have been bigger had the strikers taken their chances.
“I must say we dominated this match but came short of winning it by more than four goals. At this rate, we are in a position of winning more comprehensively in future matches,” said Baraza.

SOFAPAKA VS CHEMELIL SUGAR MATCH PREVIEW

Sofapaka Head Coach Sam Ssimbwa and his deputy John Baraza have their in-trays full as they lead their troops in an intriguing Kenyan Premier League (KPL) match against Chemelil Sugar at Narok Stadium on Sunday.
Sofapaka, who are placed second in the league chart behind Gor Mahia, has been a team on transition and are searching for points in every nook and cranny to put pressure on K’ogalo who have a six-point advantage over Batoto Ba Mungu.
Speaking soon after Sofapaka’s training session at Eastleigh High School, Baraza said the team is determined to win as many matches as possible and hope that Gor falters at some stage to take the driving seat.
And the tactician has declared that the protracted fight starts with the tie against Chemelil though he conceded that the match may not be easy given the sugar-belt’s fighting spirit.
‘The team is in no mood to lose a match. I want to say that the match against Chemelil will offer us the biggest challenge since they are a strong team. But obviously, it should not be misconstrued to mean that they will have it easy since we also have the task of catching up with Gor and by this, I mean registering maximum points, ’’said Baraza.
These are sentiments that cannot be wished away especially taking into account the fitness levels of the current Sofapaka players and which were instilled by experienced physical trainer Malik Diallo.
Last Wednesday, a day after a heavy downpour which pounded Nairobi, Diallo was seen taking the players through training drills at a section of a sodden pitch ostensibly to make them be accustomed to similar conditions if it was a league match.
Meanwhile, Ssimba has downplayed the absence of injured Mathias Kigonya, saying George Opiyo and Reuben Juma are equal to the task.
‘’I think both goalies can effectively fill Kigonya’s gap. We always have stand-by players in case the regular players get injured and it will not be an exception against Chemelil,’’said Ssimbwa.
Umaru Kasumba, currently the hottest properties at Sofapaka, will be one of the players to watch alongside fellow Ugandan Ali Feni and national team defender Wesley Onguso and forward Ezekiel Okare.
Kasumba who has six goals to his name will be hoping to add to his tally to bridge the gap with Stephen Waruru of Ulinzi Stars who is the top marksman in the league with 11 goals.
After clashing Chemeli, Sofapaka face yet another acid test in a mid-week tie next Wednesday against Ulinzi Stars at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru.
Last five matches- Sofapaka v Chemelil Sugar
 
SOFAPAKA
Sofapaka/ Chemelil Sugar
Sofapaka 1 Posta Rangers 1
Sofapaka 3 Nzoia Suigar 1
Sofapaka 5 Nakumatt 2
Sofapaka 3 Thika United 0
Sofapaka 3 Muhoroni Youtg 2
 
CHEMELIL SUGAR
Chemelil Sugar 0 Nzoia Sugar 0
Chemelil Sugar 1 Muhoroni Youth 0
Chemelil Sugar 0 Ulinzi Stars 1
Chemelil Sugar 1 Posta Rangers 1
Chemelil Sugar 1 Zoo Kericho 1
 
Head To Head Stats  – Sofapaka v Chemelil
Sofapaka 1 Chemelil Sugar 0 (KPL 13/05/2017)
Chemelil Sugar 2 Sofapaka 1 (KPL 09/07/2016)
Sofapaka 1 Chemeli Sugar 2 (KPL 02/04/2016)
Chemelil Sugar 2 Sofapaka 2 (Top 8 26/09/2015)

Ssimbwa names traveling squad for Chemelil match

Sofapaka Head coach Sam Ssimbwa has named an 18-man squad that will be traveling to Narok for the Kenya Premier League match against Chemelil Sugar at Narok Stadium on Sunday, September 10, 2017.
Experienced midfielder Hilary Echesa, away on compassionate leave has been exempted from the trip together with injured first choice goalkeeper Mathias Kigonya.
In the absence of Kigonya who is nursing a shoulder injury, George Opiyo and Reuben Juma will be preferred between the posts.
 
Squad:
1. George Opiyo (gk)
2. Juma Reuben (gk)
3. George Maelo
4. Kennedy Odour
5. Meshack Karani
6. Michael Odour
7. Hansel Ochieng’
8. Maurice Odipo
9. Timothy Luda
10. Feni Ali
11. Umaru Kasumba
12. Ezekiel Okare
13. Bernard Mang’oli
14. Rogers Modest Aloro
15. Humphrey Okoti
16. Wesley Onguso
17. Willis Ouma

18. Abdulatiff Omar

VICE CAPTAIN MAURICE ODIPO GUNNING FOR GLORY

If a script was to be written about indefatigable and dedicated players at Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side Sofapaka, it would be pretty hard for Maurice Odipo’s name to miss out.
Odipo’s work-rate is excellent so much so that he has served for a lengthy period as the team’s skipper and has a penchant of leading by example with the results there for all to see.
In a nutshell, he is a quick, balanced, highly skilful and agile midfielder who any coach would wish to have in his squad.
Amongst Odipo’s  other attributes is that he possesses excellent ball control, and positioning is capable of beating defenders in one on one situations as well as creating space for teammates.
“He (Odipo) possesses great shots from any distance, has superb vision and is a dribbler per excellence,” said a Sofapaka fan after seeing Odipo play in a recent KPL match.
It is least surprising that the 29-year old has only three national team caps to his name besides having previous stints with some of the top clubs in the region most notably Gor Mahia, Tusker and Kampala City Council (KCC) of Uganda.
In his own words, discipline is key to making it big in the game and these are qualities he would wish to instill to the young breed of players who would wish to make football a career.
“You cannot make it in football without discipline. Follow your coaches advice and the rest shall fall in place. There are no two ways about it,” said Odipo.
A product of Jericho All Estate in Nairobi’s Eastlands which has produced some of Kenya’s finest footballers, Odipo who is a fan of Stoke City in the English Premier League said his ultimate dream is to help Sofapaka to the league title.
“At Sofapaka we are like a family and the players have the potential and resolve to win the league crown. It’s is very possible and we need to continue working hard in training to achieve that,” he said.
Odipo further said the newly-launched award scheme to players who excel in league matches will inspire them to perform even better in their quest to bag the league gong.
“I thank the Sofapaka management for this noble course in conjunction with official sponsors http://www.betika.com as it will go a long way in getting the best out of the players. This is no doubt the way to go,” said Odipo.

Sofapaka Big Winners Over Thika United

Sofapaka FC thrashed Thika United 3-0 and brought their eight match Kenyan Premier League unbeaten run to an end at Afraha stadium in Nakuru County.

Thika held Sofapaka to a barren draw in the first leg played two months ago, but assistant coach John Baraza paraded a strong side, skippered by Maurice Odipo, to claim three points over the resilient Thika.

Sofapaka was the first side to test their opponent’s goal but the three chances of Ezekiel Okare, Umaru Kasumba and Kennedy Odour went over Allan Owiny’s goal post.

Indeed there was nothing to smile about for both sides at halftime as the 45 minutes ended even, Thika’s chance that landed to Onwoudi Chibueze went off the target. The hosts managed to put the ball in the net in the 54th minute when Umaru Kasumba capitalized on a Thika United defender’s mistake who failed to clear the ball out of danger, only for the Ugandan to slither it past a helpless Allan Owiny. Four minutes later, Baraza’s charges were at it again when Hillary Echesa tapped inside the box and doubled the lead.

The third goal saw central defender Rodgers Modest Aloro with a brilliant free kick that went straight to the back of the net in the 76th minute and took Sofapaka to a 3-0 lead. JB was leading Sofapaka in the absence of head coach Sam Ssimbwa, who was away in Uganda for on compassionate leave.

Sofapaka XI

  • Mathias Kigonya (GK)
  • Willis Ouma
  • Maurice Odipo (c)
  • Rodgers Aloro
  • Jonathan Mugabi
  • Mohammed Kilume
  • Kennedy Odour
  • Umaru Kasumba (Meshack Karani)
  • Ali Feni
  • Morven Otinya (Wesley Onguso)
  • Okare Ezekiel

Unused Subs

  • Juma Reuben (GK)
  • Brian Dayo Magonya
  • Humphrey Okoti
  • Hillary Echesa
  • Bernard Mang’oli.

Thika XI

  • Allan Owiny
  • Sammy Meja
  • Christopher Oruchum
  • Suleiman Ngotho
  • Wycliffe Anekeya
  • Dennis Odhiambo (Capt)
  • Michael Mutinda
  • Dennis Lewa
  • Eugene Mukangula (Francis Muturi)
  • Shami Kibwana
  • Onwoudi Chibueze (Edmond Adem)

Unused Subs

  • Emase Eluid
  • Samuel Mwanje
  • Musa
  • Said Tsuma
  • Sosthenes Idah

Three star Sofapaka crash Thika United.

ssistant coach John Baraza who is standing in for Sam SSimbwa who is away on compassionate leave guided Batoto Ba Mungu to an impressive 3-0 win over Thika United in a Kenyan premier league game played today at Afraha stadium in Nakuru. Umaru Kasumba, captain Hillary Echesa and Rodgers Aloro were the heroes of the day scoring one each in the second half. More details to follow……..

Baraza names starting eleven ahead of Thika United clash

Assistant coach John Baraza has named Sofapaka XI to take on Thika United today in a Kenyan premier league game scheduled for 2pm at Afraha stadium, Nakuru. Baraza has maintained the eleven players who started against Muhoroni youth on Wednesday 2nd August.

Sofapaka XI

  • 1. Mathias Kigonya (gk)
  • 2. Willis Ouma
  • 3. Maurice Odipo (cpt)
  • 4. Rodgers Aloro
  • 5. Jonathan Mugabi
  • 6. Mohammed Kilume
  • 7. Ezekiel Okare
  • 8. Kennedy Odour
  • 9. Umaru Kasumba
  • 10. Ali Feni
  • 11. Morven Otinya

 Subs

  • 1. Juma Reuben (gk)
  • 2. Brian Dayo Magonya
  • 3. Humphrey Okoti
  • 4. Hillary Echesa
  • 5. Meshack Karani
  • 6. Wesley Onguso
  • 7. Bernard Mang’oli