Sofapaka took a huge step towards retaining their top flight status after beating Naivas FC 1-0 during the first leg of the promotion play off played Saturday at Police Sacco Stadium,Nairobi.
Sofapaka finished the 2023/24 Football Kenya Federation Premier League season in 16th place and was thus subjected to the play off against a third place finisher in the national super league.
Naivas Fc bidding for their first top flight appearance wound up their NSL campaign in third place,two places outside the automatic premier league slots. Mara Sugar FC and Mathare United earned promotion to next season’s campaign.
Against Naivas FC Sofapaka, who lifted the 2009 Kenyan Premier League title on their debut scored the all important goal through Jacob Onyango’s spectacular strike deep in stoppage time.
Sofapaka tactician Ezekiel Akwana said the win puts them in good stead ahead of the return leg.
‘’We wanted a draw in this match,but there’s still more 90 minutes to be played in the return leg.I am targeting a draw ’’, Akwana said.
His opposite number Collins Omondi rued the missed chances promising that the team will bounce back in the reverse fixture.
‘’We created chances but did not convert them,the players at some point got carried away and failed to focus.We have areas to work on ,scoring has been our undoing we created chances but failed to out the ball behind the net,,in seven previous matches we have not failed to score’’ remarked Omondi.
The return leg is scheduled July 14th at Dandora Stadium.
