Can K'Ogalo do it?

Having dispensed with the trauma that comes with the close of the transfer week, normal and regular services have resumed.

This past week, players have been doing their patriotic duty of turning up for the national team. As the Europeans aim for the Euro 2016, our African brothers have been going for the African equivalent, set for 2017. It looks like it will be another summer of fantastic football action. Please don’t get me started on the Harambee Stars performance. It will have to wait as we have immediate concerns in the respective leagues.

After Gor Mahia have been on winning exploits both locally and regionally, the Green Army now face one of the most potentially explosive clashes with four-time winners Ulinzi.

This is after Ulinzi - KDF officers - outthought and outfoxed Sofapaka earlier in the week to keep the title destination on hold. Granted, K’Ogalo have spent the last few weeks begging teams to stop making it easy for them to defend the title.

Come tomorrow in Nakuru, the real army men must stand up and be counted. K’Ogalo fans fondly refer to their team as the ‘KDF’ an acronym locally associated with Kenya Defence Forces, but it is Ulinzi who are actually the real KDF. Ulinzi should have a spring in their step as they tackle defending champions Gor Mahia, who are unbeaten in the league this season, at Afraha Stadium in what should be an explosive affair.

A win for Gor Mahia will see them crowned 2015 champions as Ulinzi will have been mathematically knocked out of the reckoning. Should Ulinzi win, Gor will still have five more matches to collect the required four points to give them an unassailable lead, assuming the soldiers do not draw or lose their remaining matches.

Gor Mahia fans believe they have won the league. And who can blame them?

It’s the fans expectation that their team will annihilate all opponents enroute to being crowned champions. But the problem is that that belief has gotten into the Gor Mahia players too. When Gor Mahia was hosted by Nakuru All Stars in an encounter at Nyayo National stadium three weeks ago, many football fans and pundits had counted it an inevitable win for the reigning champions.

With Nakuru All Stars fighting relegation at the bottom of the log, Gor Mahia’s work to pile further misery on the Nakuru-based side was as good as done. This thought was close to being realised with All Stars scoring an own goal in the second minute but wait, what transpired at the stadium was nothing close to expectations. K’Ogalo was left to fight for pride, and their unbeaten run.

Football has an uncanny habit of surprising you at the most unexpected of opportunities and it would be useful for K’Ogalo’s rank and file to keep that in mind.

MY PREDICTIONS

In the English Premier League, Everton have a fantastic chance to pile more pressure on Jose Mourinho’s team. There is never a better time to play a big team than after an international break. This is because the big boys often have a big contingent turning up for national colours in far-flung corners of the globe.

By the time they get back to England, the hangover of partying and travel has barely cleared from their heads and then they have to turn up to play an early kick-off match.

This is the predicament that a galaxy of Chelsea players finds themselves in. Considering that Chelsea are yet to exert themselves on a single game in the manner that Manchester City have done, then one can hardly argue that Everton will have butterflies over this game. After a frenzied transfer business, Everton have the quality and belief to further frustrate Mourinho’s charges.Now let’s talk about Arsenal. Having set my premise about the dangers of international week for big clubs, I will not go back and attempt to renege on my word. I will stick to the same narrative.

Actually, every time Arsenal travels to play Stoke City away I get butterflies in the stomach, the sort of anxiety that I experienced many years ago when a female nurse was preparing me for circumcision.

So I expect Arsenal to get harassed, molested and harangued by Stoke from the first to the last minute. Make no mistake, Stoke may be leading from the wrong end, but when they face a big team, they are always motivated in a special way.

If Arsenal walks away with a point, it will be a win. If they walk away with three, it will be a steal!

Perhaps the most appetising match will be relayed from Old Trafford pitting Manchester United against Liverpool. Both teams have played pretty unconvincingly so far. Man United looks like it has potential to do well but Wayne Rooney must transform to his national form for his employer.

I hope Liverpool will not look to the new confusing offside interpretation to make a point!

Twitter: @tonyngare