This archive report was first published on 25 September 2021.
On Sunday, Tusker FC will travel to Thika Stadium to face AFC Leopards in their Football Kenya Federation Premier League title defence opener.
Having won the Super Cup on post-match penalties against Gor Mahia, Tusker will be seeking a perfect start to their season.
While AFC Leopards has not signed any new players after losing key players from their fourth-place finish last season, Tusker has bolstered their squad with over 12 new players.
These new players, including Tanzanian import Ibrahim Joshua, former Kakamega Homeboyz striker Shami Kibwana, and Ugandan striker Deogratius Ojok, have already made their mark with goals in the Caf Champions League preliminary round and FKF Super Cup.
However, AFC Leopards will be barred from signing any new players due to their failure to pay former players and coaches who have sued them, forcing them to field part of their youth team.
Key players who have left AFC Leopards from last season's squad include Elvis Rupia, Collins Shichnje, Clyde Senaji, Hansel Ochieng, Benjamin Ochan, John Oyemba, and Robinson Kamura, among others.
Despite this, Tusker has a strong record against AFC Leopards, having won three of their last five meetings, drawn one, and lost one.
Having already enjoyed momentum from their CAF Champions League matches, where they eliminated Djibouti champions Arta Solar 7-4 on aggregate, Tusker is confident of a bright start to their season.
