The 2015 KPL Top 8 Cup was the fourth edition of the tournament, which kicked off on 26 September and ended on 7 November.[1] It is set to be contested by the top 8 teams of the 2014 season of the Kenyan Premier League: A.F.C. Leopards, Chemelil Sugar, Gor Mahia, Muhoroni Youth, Sofapaka, Tusker and Ulinzi Stars. The winners of the tournament will receive KSh. 1,000,000/= in prize money.[2]

2015 KPL Top 8 Cup
Tournament details
Country Kenya
Teams8
Final positions
ChampionsGor Mahia
Runner-upSony Sugar
Tournament statistics
Matches played9
Goals scored33 (3.67 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Meddie Kagere
(4 goals)[nb 1]
← 2014
2016 →

All statistics correct as of 7 November 2015.

Tusker were the defending champions of the competition, having won their second title in the previous season after beating A.F.C. Leopards 2–1 in the final played at the Kinoru Stadium in Meru. However, they were knocked out by eventual champions Gor Mahia in the semi-finals, beating Sony Sugar in the final after extra time to pick up their second title of the competition and their third title of the 2015 season.[3]

Competition format

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The tournament follows a single-elimination format for the quarter-finals and the final, where the winning team immediately advances to the next round or wins the tournament, respectively.

For the semi-finals, the tournament adopts a double-elimination format, where a team must win two legs to advance to the final. If both teams are equal on aggregate goals at the end of the two legs, a penalty shoot-out will be conducted to determine who advances to the final. The away goals rule also applies in this round.[1]

2014 Kenyan Premier League standings

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Gor Mahia (C) 30 17 9 4 43 21 +22 60 Qualification for 2015 CAF Champions League
2 Sofapaka 30 16 9 5 49 27 +22 57 Qualification for 2015 CAF Confederation Cup[a]
3 Tusker 30 14 11 5 42 25 +17 53
4 Ulinzi Stars 30 12 15 3 33 20 +13 51
5 Chemelil Sugar 30 12 12 6 24 16 +8 48
6 SoNy Sugar 30 9 14 7 27 21 +6 41[b]
7 A.F.C. Leopards 30 10 11 9 30 25 +5 41[b]
8 Muhoroni Youth 30 10 10 10 23 28 −5 40
9 Thika United 30 9 12 9 31 31 0 39
10 Mathare United 30 10 8 12 19 25 −6 38
11 Western Stima 30 9 9 12 26 33 −7 36
12 Ushuru 30 10 3 17 22 40 −18 33
13 Bandari 30 5 15 10 23 29 −6 30
14 Kenya Commercial Bank 30 7 8 15 30 39 −9 29
15 Nairobi City Stars (R) 30 4 12 14 18 35 −17 24 Relegation to 2015 National Super League
16 Nakuru AllStars (R) 30 3 8 19 13 38 −25 17
Updated to match(es) played on 8 November 2014. Source: Kenyan Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Sofapaka qualified for the 2015 CAF Confederation Cup as winners of the 2014 FKF President's Cup.
  2. ^ a b Sony Sugar were awarded 3 points and 2 goals after AFC Leopards failed to turn up for their match scheduled for 10 December.

Bracket

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Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
        
Sofapaka 2 (5)
Chemelil Sugar 2 (4)
Sofapaka 2 1 3
Sony Sugar 2 3 5
Ulinzi Stars 1 (4)
Sony Sugar 1 (5)
Sony Sugar 1
Gor Mahia 2
Tusker 4
A.F.C. Leopards 2
Tusker 2 1 3
Gor Mahia 2 2 4
Gor Mahia 3
Muhoroni Youth 0

Quarter-finals

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The draw for the quarter-finals was held on 4 September.[4] Teams placed first to fourth on the league table were placed in one pot, while teams placed fifth to eighth were placed in another pot.[1]

Fixtures

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The matches are scheduled to take place on the weekend of 26–27 September.[4]

26 September 2015 Sofapaka 2–2
(5–4 p)
Chemelil Sugar Kisumu, Kisumu
13:45 UTC+3 Baraza   61'
Mbatiye   86'
Report Olwande   29' (pen.)
Karani   59'
Stadium: Moi Stadium
Penalties
26 September 2015 Gor Mahia 3–0 Muhoroni Youth Kisumu, Kisumu
16:15 UTC+3 Kagere   60'
Olunga   69'
Odhiambo   87'
Report Stadium: Moi Stadium
27 September 2015 Ulinzi Stars 1–1
(4–5 p)
Sony Sugar Nakuru, Nakuru
14:00 UTC+3 Wamalwa   78' Report Chambiri   47' Stadium: Afraha Stadium
Penalties
27 September 2015 Tusker 4–2 A.F.C. Leopards Madaraka Estate, Nairobi
16:15 UTC+3 Asike   40'
Mieno   45'
Osumba   52'
Were   55'
Report Diallo   26'
Kiiza   79'
Stadium: Nyayo National Stadium

Semi-finals

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The draw for the semi-finals was held on 27 September, after the final quarter-final between Tusker and A.F.C. Leopards.[2]

First leg

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The first leg matches took place on 17 October.[2]

17 October 2015 Sony Sugar 2–2 Sofapaka Nakuru, Nakuru
14:00 UTC+3 Odiaga   10'
Ademba   44'
Report Ndolo   30'
Shivachi   45'
Stadium: Afraha Stadium
17 October 2015 Tusker 2–2 Gor Mahia Nakuru, Nakuru
16:15 UTC+3 Were   53'
Asike   90+1'
Report Abondo   11'
Kagere   37' (pen.)
Stadium: Afraha Stadium

Second leg

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The second leg matches took place on 4 November.[2]

Sony Sugar win 5–3 on aggregate.

4 November 2015 Gor Mahia 2–1 Tusker Madaraka Estate, Nairobi
19:15 UTC+3 Olunga   53', 73' Report Kimani   9' Stadium: Nyayo National Stadium

Gor Mahia win 4–3 on aggregate.

Final

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The final was played on 7 November.[5][3]

7 November 2015 Sony Sugar 1–2 (a.e.t.) Gor Mahia Kisumu, Kisumu
15:00 UTC+3 Ssekayombya   9' Report Kagere   77', 114' Stadium: Moi Stadium
Referee: Raymond Onyango

Goalscorers

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4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
1 own goal

Team statistics

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Pos. Team Pld W D L Pts GF GA GD
1 Gor Mahia 4 3 1 0 10 9 4 +5
2 Sony Sugar 4 1 2 1 5 7 6 +1
Eliminated in the semi-finals
3 Tusker 3 1 1 1 4 7 6 +1
4 Sofapaka 3 0 2 1 2 5 7 −2
Eliminated in the quarter-finals
5 Chemelil Sugar 1 0 1 0 1 2 2 0
6 Ulinzi Stars 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0
7 A.F.C. Leopards 1 0 0 1 0 2 4 −2
8 Muhoroni Youth 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 −3
Total 9(1) 5 4(2) 5 23 33 33 0

Updated to games played on 7 November 2015. Team(s) rendered in italics represent(s) the host nation(s). The competition's winning team is rendered in bold.
(1) – Total games lost not counted in total games played (total games lost = total games won)
(2) – Total number of games drawn (tied) for all teams = Total number of games drawn (tied) ÷ 2 (both teams involved)
(3) – As per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws.

Notes

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  1. ^ Goals scored during penalty shoot-outs are not counted.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Kevin Teya (27 August 2015). "KPL Top 8 draw set to be conducted". Futaa.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d Chrisphine Magak (27 September 2015). "KPL Top 8 semis: Gor drawn against Tusker". Futaa.com. Retrieved 28 September 2015.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ a b Chrisphine Magak (7 November 2015). "KPL Top 8: Gor toils through rocky SoNy to clinch title". Futaa.com. Archived from the original on 2015-11-12. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  4. ^ a b "KPL Top 8: AFC Leopards drawn against Tusker". Goal.com. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  5. ^ Chrisphine Magak (7 November 2015). "KPL Top 8: Gor-Sony match officials". Futaa.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.