Nzoia Sugar FC relegated from FKF Premier League after a goalless draw with Nairobi City Stars, ending their eight-year top-flight stint.
Nzoia Sugar FC have suffered direct relegation from the FKF Premier League after a 0-0 draw against Nairobi City Stars at Sudi Stadium in Bungoma on Sunday afternoon.
This result marks the end of Nzoia's eight-year run in the top flight, with three matches left in the season.
After losing 1-0 to Kakamega Homeboyz midweek, the Sugar Millers needed to win all their remaining games starting with the City Stars clash. They also needed victories over Ulinzi Stars and fellow strugglers Muhoroni Youth and Sofapaka.
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Achieving 12 points would have lifted Nzoia to 30 points. However, this also required Shabana (29 points) and Muhoroni Youth (28 points) to lose all their remaining matches. With the draw at the City Stars match, Nzoia's fate was sealed, relegating them to the National Super League next season.
Nzoia Sugar, who has been in the FKFPL since 2016 and has often flirted with danger in the lower regions of the log, finished last season in fourth place.
However, at the beginning of this season, they were affected after losing many of their players which has affected their performances.
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In the match against City Stars, the hosts managed the first shot on target after eight minutes when Emmanuel Osoro tested Bryon Owino with an effort from outside the box.
The action quickly switched to the other end as Dennis Olao was brought down on the edge of the area and Dennis Wanjala sent his free-kick just to the left of the goal.
Route-one football almost brought the opener on 28 minutes when Wekesa's long ball upfield was flicked on by Wafula for Osoro, whose cross picked out Daniel Wafula, but his shot was deflected for an unfruitful corner.
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Elisha Wekesa was alert to the danger on 32 minutes after Samuel Kapen's strike took a deflection on its way through to the keeper, while drew a save out of Owino with his header three minutes later after getting on the end of Brian Mzee's cross.
The first half came to a close with Oyugi firing over the crossbar in the 44th minute after being picked out by Thomas Harun's cutback pass.
The opening seconds after the break saw Simba wa Nairobi mere inches away from claiming the lead, with Mohamed Ali getting on the end of a delivery from Dennis Wanjala and heading an effort onto the crossbar.
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Joseph Wafula managed to hit the target with his next attempt eight minutes into the second half, but Owino was equal to the task and Elisha Wekesa was wasteful at the other end when he steered a header wide of the right post on 63 minutes.
City Stars upped their attacking game in a search for an opener and Kapen almost found a way back into the game on 72 minutes, though his low shot from the left of the penalty area was blocked by Ali Sharrif, who was proving a colossus at both ends of the field.
Edwin Buliba and his fellow Nairobi City Stars defenders held firm against whatever Nzoia could throw at them ultimately carrying home a point to the despair and depression of the hosts
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How they lined up:
Nzoia Sugar: Munyendo Fred, Wekesa Elisha, Ali Shariff, Shikokoti Nassor, Wafula Titus, Thomas Harun, Maliachi Victor, Wafula Joseph, Oyugi Joseph, Wafula Daniel, Osoro Emmanuel