Friday, April 27

Planets v Sharks:The God's must be Smiling:Part 1

The Ligi Ndogo Planets will feel at home playing away to the best team in the league.They always have.The two are the higest ranking teams from the KFF side of last year’s league and have played against each other more than ten times,eleven,to be precise.

Circle April 28 11.00am for a sequel to the longest crosstown rivalry since the Hillies and the Billies.

Rewind then to season 2011.
It is October 12.More than 70% of the league matches in the KFF Division One league have been played.Ligi Ndogo Planets trail second placed Kariobangi Sharks by four games, but with four games at hand.

In the series,the Planets draw away to Don Bosco but go on a 7-0 run to win all their remaining fixtures and squeeze past the Sharks.The Planets finish with 71 points,two ahead of the Sharks.
The sharks are atop the league again this season,the same team is planning to dislodge them,again!
Such has characterized the back and forth.
They have featured in tournaments,leagues and exhibitions:Nairobi Super League,Anti-Corruption tournament,Nairobi Champions League,Sakataball Safaricom,Kenya Football Federation and now onto the first match in the Nationwide league Zone A.
The back and forth has resulted in 26 goals (six from the penalty spot,three for each side),four  red cards (all Planet),altercations, dislocated collar bones (Planets' Abass Akinyemi last season) and numerous appeals. And oh yes, where God smiled his brightest,the best brand of attacking soccer you will witness in any of the domestic leagues.

Long History
K Sharks were three years old the first time they played the Planets in the first ever meeting in an exhibition match. The Planets were still in the Pee Wee leagues and preparing to visit England for the annual Umbro Manchester tournament. The final score 5-0 K Sharks, and the ensuing events pretty much determined the genesis of the friendly war that has ensued since.
The next match between the two teams was played two years later. It ended tied at one a piece (Jean Claude Thesee scored for the Planets), but produced the first of many red cards to follow, when Planet right back, Karim Rersa was caught in an off the ball elbow incident.

The two teams then played each other in the Nairobi Superleague.The Planets won both matches 1-0. The most memorable being the road win where Planet striker, Sofiane Rersa, after scoring ran half the length of the pitch and handed the ball to Sharks coach Nick Mwenda.The incident drew home ire,and soon generated into anti Planet chants from the home fans.
Sofiane,it later emerged, attested to what coach Nick had alluded, when he benched him during the London tour. It made him instant enemies.

The two teams then met again in the Nairobi Champions league.K Sharks won the league, but fell at home 1-0 (Samuel Machio) to the Planets and drew away 1-1,Machio again scoring. During the Anti-Corruption tournament Emmanuel Musho scored a lone strike to gift the Planets another 1-0 win.
In the most infamous incident, the Planets led K Sharks 1-0 away at Kariobangi Primary School. With three minutes to play,Planets defender,Victor Dufe got entangled with a Sharks striker. The referee ruled it a foul and awarded an instant penalty. Both benches emptied as the Planets hotly contested the decision. Led by coach Mbikalo, the Planets staged a walkout in protest after the passionate home fans turned it into a free for all.

Sharks were later awarded the match.



Last Season
That is all gone as the two teams embark on match number twelve morning of April 28.

Last season,K Sharks beat the Planets 1-0 at home in the first leg of the KFF Nationwide league.In the second leg,the Planets tied 2-2 at Kariobangi North primary school home of the Sharks.And in another dramatic twist,Planet right back Mikhaik Mwaniki was sent off after two bookable offenses.Sharks coverted the resulting free kick as the two teams tied 2-2 in a late finish.Both teams scored via spot kicks to set up  another memorable entente into this season.




Planets Sharks:Head to Head Analysis
Sharks have seen their latest number of goals dwindle,ever since they blanked Congo Stars 3-0.The spiral started with a 2-0 drop at Mahakama.
Give it to them,though.At 23,they have racked the most number of goals in the current league;their offense have scored 2.09 goals per match,slightly lower than the league average of 2.26.Their surprise 2-1 away win over Mombasa's Sparkie Youth was the first sign of how well prepared the team was.
The Sharks finished third last season adrift off first placed Muhoroni Youth by five points.They won 21 games tied six and lost three.They scored 59 goals and conceded 19 for 69 points.
Their home win record was almost identical to the road:won 12 and 8 away.They drew two and lost one at home,and drew 5,twoloses on the road.
They beat Kilimani Youth 6-1 on 7th October 2011.Then replicated the same feat on 17th September versus Nyahururu's Yanga,in their highest scoring games.

Sharks scored 41 goals and conceded 10 at home.They scored 18 and conceded 9 on the road.

They lost 1-0 to Muhoroni Youth at home,on 24th of July,in their only home lose.They lost 1-0 in Homa Bay to Milimani Youth on 10th September and 2-0 to KSL Thola Glass on 1st of June,the two times they dropped games on the road. They beat Annex 07,3-1 in Mombasa  on 8th June,in their highest scoring road game.Their longest winning streak lasted four games and four weeks when they beat Thola Glass at home(2-1),Annex 07 on the road (3-1),Kiambaa United (4-2) and Nanyuki United (2-0) at home.

They ran another winning streak this season between 11th and 31st March when they beat Sparkie,Thola Glass,Admiral and Bidco.They have never lost more than two matches in a row and have never lost by more than three goals.
This season
Give the Sharks credit.they jumped onto the number one spot on 2nd April,after it had ping ponged between the Planets,Mahakama and Bandari and never let go.They have had the longest stint at number one and will hang onto it for the next one week regardless of the match outcome.

Both teams started this season well,scoring a total of seven goals;the Planets braced past AP and Congo;Sharks were 3-0 winners over Congo JMJ.The Sharks went on to ram 4 and 5 past Thola Glass and Admiral before slowing down against Iron Strikers.They beat Gatundu Stars 3-1 (Fact:Every team that has played Gatundu Stars has not won its next match!),then dropped 2-0 on the road to Mahakama in their first league loss.Their most eventful win was perhaps the 2-1 surprise over Sparkie Youth In Mombasa.It set thep precedence for their excellent run so far.

The Planets slowly picked up pace after a dearth of goals and a series of debilitating 0-0 ties.Their latest  2-1 away win over Mahakama is a testament to their renewed vigour.They have let in only six goals in ten matches played.Their average of 0.8 conceded per match is the lowest (alongside Mahakama).

Statistics
The Planets,Sharks and Nairobi Stima are the only teams that have dropped only one game this season.The Planet's lose was the earliest,1-0 away to Bandari.
The Sharks have eight points in their last five games while the Planets have nine points in the last five games.The Sharks have won their last five home games,the highest score being a 5-1 win over Admiral.The Planets have not lost their last five games,the most recent and notable performance being a win on the road.

Kariobangi Sharks have won all their home games (6) and are first in home games won,followed by Mahakama (won four draw one, lost one),Bandari and the Planets.Shark offense has scored 18 goals the most in the league,when playing at home.Their defense has conceded three.The Planets have scored nine (fourth in the league) and conceded 4 at home en route to twelve home points.They have won three,drawn three and not lost at home.


Sharks are seventh on the road in won points (6) after KRA (11),Moyas (7),Bidco United (7),Mahakama (7),Bandari (7) and NBI Stima (6).They have played five matches on the road won one tied thrice and lost once.They have scored five goals and conceded six,the only time their plus minus ration is negative.

The Planets are eleventh on most points won on the road,but only a goal away from the Sharks at five goals,and a game less.They have played a match less (4) won one,tied two and lost one.They have scored twice and conceded twice,the best road aggregate (KRA are first with seven and six),and the lowest number of goals conceded on the road.They are 7th in away points won with six from five matches.
The Sharks have conceded in eight of their eleven games,the Planets have not conceded in five of their ten games.

Both teams drew their last road games:the Planets 0-0 to Bidco,K Sharks 1-1 to Nairobi Stima.The Sharks go into the game having played one more than the Planets.
The Planets are third in the most points won in the last five games (9),after the resurgent Moyas and KRA (tied at 13).K Sharks are seventh with a point less.

As the league approaches its first leg half mark,it has witnessed a sudden resurgence in the number of upsets at home.

New Planets The Planets squad introduces five new players in the absence of suspended Salim Abdalla (send off against Bidco),injured Samuel Machio and Benjamin Kipruto.
Marvin Onyango,the inspirational U20 midfielder starts in place of Machio.Last Saturday's two goal hero versus Mahakama,Charmant Chihuguyu rides the pine on a swap with Abass Akinyemi in the new striker setup.Talent Academy product,Jaswel Ngugi and Cornelius Ekene are other notable starters.Ekene scored the lone goal when the Planets battled Nairobi Stima at home.

Planet Starters Samuel Njau (GK),Jaswel Ngugi,Brillian Ochieng,Harry Gentle,Victor Muchina,Bobby Ogolla,Cornelius Ekene,Tom Murila,Jeremiah Bright and Victor Dufe.
Coming In Charles Ouma (GK),Sven Yida,Marvin Onyango,Vincent Okoth,Charmant Chihuguyu,Douglas Simiyu and Cliff Ouma




Head-to-head Last Six Matches

31 March
Sharks
1-0
Bidco
01 April
Iron Strikers
1-1
Sharks
07 April
Sharks
3-1
Gatundu Stars
14 April
Mahakama
2-0
Sharks
21 April
Sharks
2-1
Kibera Cetic
22 April
NBI Stima
1-1
Sharks

18 March
Bandari
1-0
Planets
25 March
Planets
1-1
Stima
31 March
Planets
2-1
Coast United
08 April
Planets
2-2
Thola Glass
21 April
Mahakama
1-2
Planets
22 April
Planets
0-0
Bidco







Comparison of the last six games (latest game is on the right side)
Planets
L
D
W
D
W
D
Sharks
W
D
W
L
W
D
Scored goals last six games
Planets
0
1
2
2
2
0
Sharks
1
1
3
0
2
1

Opponents scored last six games






Planets
1
1
1
2
1
0
Sharks
0
1
1
2
1
1


Performance last six games
W(H)
W(A)
D(H)
D(A)
L(H)
L(A)
Planets
1
1
2
1
0
1
Sharks
3
0
0
2
0
1


H=home,A=away;won,draw,lost