Disciplined Forces Derby fever on Friday menu as Kenya Police take on Ulinzi Stars

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FKFPL Disciplined Forces Derby fever on Friday menu as Kenya Police take on Ulinzi Stars

Festus Chuma 06:04 - 10.11.2023

Kenya Police FC faces Ulinzi Stars in a heated Disciplined Forces Derby, with both teams seeking a crucial win to shape their season.

Kenya Police FC and Ulinzi Stars are set to ignite the footballing fireworks as they square off in the highly anticipated Disciplined Forces Derby for the first time this campaign.

The clash is set to take place at the vibrant Police Sacco Stadium, and it promises to be a battle royale that will keep fans on the edge of their seats.

The Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) fixture is slated for Friday, with both teams eager to make their mark before the league takes a brief hiatus for the FIFA international window.

Police are going into the match off the back of a hard-fought goalless draw against Gor Mahia. They will be determined to outshine their rivals, Ulinzi Stars, who suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bidco United in their previous outing.

The Law Enforcers have found themselves in a bit of a rough patch, failing to secure victory in three of their recent matches and only managing to secure two wins out of the ten matches played this season.

This dip in form led to the club parting ways with their former coach, Francis Baraza, and appointing Zdravko Logarušić as new coach.

In their last five matches, they have recorded two draws, two losses, and one win, reflecting the inconsistency that has plagued their campaign thus far.

Despite their recent struggles, Police enters the derby with a full arsenal as no injuries have been reported within the squad.

However, Logarušić expressed concern about the team's current form, stating "Our team was in bad form for a few games. I am also expecting other teams, Tusker, Gor Mahia, and KCB to have a bump. They could not produce consistent results game after game.

"Let us hope that we will start winning consistently very soon. Let us hope that our opponents who are also chasing the title will come in trouble with the points. We have a good squad, and I believe we have a lot of space for improvement. Let us go game by game, and I believe we can do it."

As of now, Police occupies the 12th position on the league table with 11 points, trailing the league leaders, Posta Rangers, by a significant margin of 10 points.

On the flip side, Ulinzi Stars is also eager to bounce back from their recent setback, having suffered a 1-0 loss to Bidco United.

The Soldiers have registered four wins in the ten matches they have played this season and currently sit in ninth place on the table with 13 points.

Key players to watch for Ulinzi Stars include Boniface Muchiri and Benjamin Murimi, who will be crucial in their quest for victory in the derby.

Interestingly, neither Ulinzi Stars nor Police have managed to secure a win against each other in the league since the latter's promotion to the top tier in 2022.

However, fans will recall an exciting encounter in the FKF Cup last season when Ulinzi Stars narrowly edged out Kenya Police 2-1 in South B, Nairobi.

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