Mathare Youth soccer club,which is under the umbrella of Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA),plays in the FKF D1 league and serves as the feeder program to the main team,Mathare United.
MYSA,as an organization has on numerous occasions made big name.They have been internationally acclaimed by twice being nominated for the Nobel Peace price awards for their efforts at uplifting living standards in the Mathare slums.They have won the UN Environment award,winners beyond sports award and many other accolades.Well decorated,MYSAepitomizes excellence in projects that grants gifted youths a chance to fulfill their potential and improve their lives.
Their brother team,Mathare United won the national premier league in 2008 in a memorable display where striker Francis Ouma led all league scorers with 15 goals.In a remarkable display,he knocked home 7 of his goals with his noggin and got a pro tryout at Parma in Italy the same year.
Unfortunately that is where the niceties end.
Going down
Mathare Youth soccer club are now on life support as they invite the Ligi Ndogo Planets on Madaraka day and Moyas the next day to complete the two matches they hold at hand.Not that it matters much,at this point.
Mathare have seen the pale rider stalk them ever since this year's game 1 when they went down 2-0 to Nairobi Stima.Team fallen on hard times,they have lost a record 7 games in a row and have the uncanny distinction of being the only team in the D1 league not to win a match at home.
The bleak spell has engulfed them since last season.Though they went through brief peeps at sunny shores,like blanking Strathmore 6-2 and winning 5 games and scoring 1.2 goals per match,the team is downtrodden.
And you could see it coming.
Dismal Run
Last year in
the FKL Nationwide league,Mathare Youth ran 3 three match loosing
streaks,from 5 November 2011 to 13th November 2011 and between 27th
November to 10th March 2012.
By 6th May,Mathare had equaled their loosing streak of three matches in a torrid three week spell that started on 24th April to 6th
of May and worsened by a 2-1 lose to Admiral.By then they had more than 27 matches to play and only 27 points lost;now with 5 matches to play before the end of the first half of the league,still they can;In 11 matches,make that 14 matches played,Mathare Youth are the only team yet to win
a match at home.
Some impressive runs
Mathare Youth have played 14 matches won 1,tied 3 and lost 10.They are rooted at the bottom of the table with 6 points,8 goals scored and 22 conceded.Only Iron Strikers at 26 have conceded more goals.
Mathare gave former premier leaguers,Bandari a scare when they led them 1-0 through most of 65 minutes before sharing points after a late equalizer from the spot.
In the same fashion,they came from 3 goals down to almost tie league leaders K Sharks,with 9 minutes to play.They lost 3-2.They went down by a solitary goal to Mahakama in their 4th match of the season then scrapped on the road past Gatundu Stars 1-0 in their only win of the season.
In their next match,they tied KSL Thola Glass on the road and Kibera Celtic at home.They slumped back to familiar territory,dropping their next 6 games.
They are last on the log having won only one point at home,out of a possible 21.
The only time Mathare does not appear last on the log is on points scored on the road.They have 5 and are above Iron Strikers,AP,Sparkie Youth,Thola Glass,Kibera Celtic and Magongo Rangers.
Comparison of the two teams
On paper,this is a nonstarter.The Planets are solid at 3rd and only 1½ matches behind the league leaders.They had had a fine run in the last two weeks winning three consecutive at home and away.They have scored 8 goals in the last three matches and conceded only 2.
The Planets have played 8 on the road won 3,tied 2 and lost three.They are 5th on the table.NBI Stima have gained the highest number of points on the road with 16.Mathare have lost their last 5 games while the Planets have won 4 and lost 1.
The Planets are on a hot handle after their first back to back wins this year and are buoyed by a sudden rush of enthusiasm within the playing and technical units.
They are high on adrenaline and would need to stumble on a very deep trench to slow down..or even fall.
The ball returns to the centre spot again,and again!
Planet starters
Striker Charmant Chihuguyu returns his 4 goals tally to the team after being out on the IL with a strained hamstring.
GK Charles Ouma,Jeremiah Bright,Harry Gentle,Salim Abdalla,Bobby Ogola,Samuel Machio (C),Brillian Ochieng,Sven Yida,Tom Murila,Cornelius Ekene,Vincent Okoth
26.5.Administration Police2:0Mathare Youth
20.5.Mathare Youth0:2Bidco United 12.5.Magongo Rangers1:0Mathare
Youth 06.5.Mathare Youth1:2Admiral
05.5.Mathare Youth2:3Kariobangi Sharks
21.4.Mathare Youth1:2Sparki Youth
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27.5.Ligi Ndogo 1:0 Gatundu Stars
26.5.Green Berets0:4Ligi Ndogo
19.5.Iron Strikers2:3Ligi Ndogo
12.5.Kibera
Celtic2:1Ligi Ndogo
06.5.Ligi Ndogo2:0Moyas
28.4.Kariobangi
Sharks1:0Ligi Ndogo
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Comparison
of the last six games (last game is on the right)
Planets
|
L
|
W
|
L
|
W
|
W
|
W
|
Mathare
|
L
|
L
|
L
|
L
|
L
|
L
|
Scored
goals last 6 games
Planets
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
Mathare
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Opponents
scored goals last 6 games
Planets
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
Mathare
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
Performance
last 6 games
W (H)
|
W (A)
|
D (H)
|
D (A)
|
L (H)
|
L (A)
|
|
Planets
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
Mathare
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
2
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