Badi is bullish as Kibera Black Stars face Darajani Gogo in Kibra derby

Bullish Kibera Black Stars coach Idd Badi insists his side remains firmly in the promotion race in the National Super League despite dropping to eighth on the standings.

Kibera Black Stars sit eighth with 33 points, 13 behind leaders Mombasa United, with 16 matches remaining in the season. Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Kibra derby against Darajani Gogo, Badi said the gap between the leading teams and his side is still manageable.

“We are firmly in the race for promotion. The gap between the top three teams and us is still manageable,” said Badi. The two sides meet at Vapour Grounds, where Badi says his side will be targeting maximum points against their neighbours.

“We have great respect for Darajani Gogo as a competitive side, but as a team we remain focused on our targets, which we set at the beginning of the month,” he said.

Badi added that preparations in camp have been positive ahead of the encounter. “The commitment in the camp has been excellent. The morale is high, and the boys understand what is at stake,” noted the tactician.

“We shall approach the game with confidence, discipline, and our objective remains clear — to keep pushing forward in the promotion race.”

His Darajani Gogo counterpart, Kelly Ogutu, also warned that his side will be going for all three points despite their struggles in the league.

Darajani Gogo are 15th on the table with 22 points from the same number of matches. “Our objective going into the game is to pick a win and get our campaign back on track,” said Ogutu.

On their recent struggles, he said: “We have been playing well, but results don’t go our way. We have lost some games despite dominating sometimes because of poor officiating.”

Ogutu said his target is to finish in the top five by the end of the season. “With 16 games to go, I believe we can finish in the top five. Qualifying for the SportPesa League is not within our reach now,” he remarked. On the highly anticipated derby, Ogutu said his side is determined to claim bragging rights.

"Derbies are always cagey games. We have prepared for this, and I’m confident of a win. The win will help us get our season back on track,” he noted.

He added that the nine players signed during the mid-season transfer window will play an important role in the team’s push. “Out of the 11 players we signed, only nine were registered, while two from Mully Children’s Family are yet to be cleared by the Football Kenya Federation.”