City Stars to challenge for the title next term after 'historic' 2021-22 season

Nairobi City Stars team coordinator Samson Otieno expects his side to challenge for the title next season despite failing to nail down a top-three finish in the just-concluded 2021/22 Kenya Premier League season.

The Hope Center-based side finished an impressive fifth on the log, their highest finish since inception in 2003, but Otieno feels they would have challenged for top honors had it not been their untimely slump towards the end of the season.

Simba wa Nairobi ended their trailblazing season with a 2-2 stalemate against rookies Football Club Talanta, a feat that saw them fend off a challenge for the fifth slot from AFC Leopards.

“We laud our players for staying on top of their game for the better part of the season and managed to help us finish a historical fifth.

“In as much as that was the best finish in the history of the club, we felt we could have achieved more had we been more consistent in the closing stages and that is something we will be looking to improve next season,” he told Citizen Digital.

Ahead of the new season, Otieno says they are still not aware when the season will begin but notes the club will wait for direction on the new season schedule.

Uncertainty continue to dog Kenyan football, following the kicking out of office FKF president Nick Mwendwa and the subsequent formation of  Transition Committee.

 “We have given our players a break, and we will sit down and plan on our preseason program once we receive an all-clear from the interim committee.

“At the moment it is difficult to plan because we will not have the traditional August league kick-off because even the second-tier league, National Super League, has nine games to go.”

Otieno has also challenged the Ministry of Sports to find a long-lasting solution to the protracted impasse on the leadership of football in the country.

“We are living precariously regarding the future of our football. We faced many challenges last season as a result of the stand-off.

“As football stakeholders, we are urging those involved to have the interest of our football at heart so that we can solve it as soon as possible.