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The 2015 Kenyan Premier League (known as the Tusker Premier League and thereafter the
SportPesa SportPesa is a sports news technology and sports betting brand with operations in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Italy, Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the UK, where it operates in conjunction with TGP Europe. Ownership SportPesa in Kenya is ...
Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the twelfth season of the
Kenyan Premier League The Kenyan Premier League (KPL), officially known as the FKF Premier League and as the BetKing Premier League (BPL) for sponsorship reasons, is a professional league for men's association football clubs in Kenya. Standing at the top of the Kenyan ...
since it began in 2003, and the 52nd season of top-division
football in Kenya Association football is the most popular sport in Kenya, followed by Rugby union, rugby. The governing body of football in Kenya is the Football Kenya Federation. The Kenyan Premier League is the only fully professional league in the country, wh ...
since 1963. It began on 21 February and ended on 1 November. Before the beginning of the season, talks with the
Football Kenya Federation The Football Kenya Federation (abbreviated as Football Kenya or FKF) is the governing body of football in Kenya. The FKF organizes the Kenyan Premier League, the Kenyan Women's Premier League, FKF Division One, FKF Women Division One and Keny ...
(FKF) concerning the expansion of the top tier to 18 teams fell through. While the KPL continued with its agenda for the season, the FKF created a parallel top division called the FKF Premier League (FKF PL), consisting of 18 teams. In March, an agreement was reached to maintain, for the 2015 season, the KPL as the top division with the FKF PL as the second tier. A total of 16 teams competed for the Kenyan Premier League, all returning from the 2014 season.
Nairobi City Stars Nairobi City Stars is an association football club based in Nairobi, Kenya that currently competes in the first tier Kenyan Premier League. History The club was founded in 2003 as World Hope Football Club after a majority of players followed head ...
and Top Fry AllStars were not replaced as membership for the FKF Premier League was drawn from majority of the teams from the 2014 Kenyan National Super League, including those that were to be promoted to the Kenyan Premier League. On 16 September, defending champions
Gor Mahia Gor Mahia Football Club (), commonly also known as ''K'Ogalo'' (), is a football club based in Nairobi, Kenya. They have won the Kenyan Premier League a record 19 times, and have also won the FKF President's Cup a record 11 times. They are the o ...
beat Sony Sugar 1–0 to win a third consecutive league title with 4 matches to spare. Finishing the season unbeaten with a record of 24–6–0 (24 wins, 6 draws, no losses), Gor Mahia remained the only club in Kenya to complete an unbeaten season (after achieving the same feat in the 1976 season) and became the only club in Kenya to have done so twice. They also became the first club in Africa to finish a whole season unbeaten since
Egyptian Premier League The Egyptian Premier League ( ar, الدوري المصري الممتاز), also known as WE Egyptian Premier League (WE EPL) after the addition of title sponsor WE, is a professional association football league in Egypt and the top level of th ...
giants
Al Ahly AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media * Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera * Al (''Fullmetal ...
went through both the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons without a single loss en route to their 30th and 31st league titles. Gor Mahia will represent Kenya in the preliminary round of the
2016 CAF Champions League The 2016 CAF Champions League (officially the 2016 Orange CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons) was the 52nd edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 20th editio ...
and will play against the 2015 FKF President's Cup champions at the
2016 Kenyan Super Cup The 2016 Kenyan Super Cup was a Kenyan football match contested by the 2015 Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia and the 2015 FKF President's Cup champions Bandari. Bandari won my match 1–0 to deny Gor Mahia their third title in a row. As ...
.


Teams

Half of the 16 participating teams are based in the capital,
Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
, while Bandari is the only team based at the
Coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...
.


Stadia and locations


Naming rights

On 21 August 2012, the Kenyan Premier League signed a three-year deal worth KSh.170 million/= (
US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
2.02 million; £1.28 million  sterling;
€ The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists o ...
1.62 million) with
East African Breweries East African Breweries Limited, commonly referred to as EABL, is a Kenyan-based holding company that manufactures branded beer, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages. Overview The group's headquarters are located in Nairobi, Kenya, with subsi ...
to rename the league to the Tusker Premier League (TPL). For sponsorship reasons, the league was known by that name until 6 August 2015, when East African betting company SportPesa gained the naming rights to the league in a four-and-a-half-year deal reportedly worth KSh.450 million/= (approx. US$4.36 million, £2.84 million stg. or €3.87 million) to rename the league to the SportPesa Premier League, nearly three times the value of the previous deal with Tusker.


Pre-season crisis

Towards the end of the 2014 season, the FKF proposed that the Premier League should be expanded to 18 teams from 16 for the upcoming season, though KPL management insisted that the 2015 season would continue with 16 teams. Reasons given by the KPL for the opposition of the expansion of the league included the
national team A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport. The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exam ...
needing more time for friendlies and competitive matches to increase the nation's
FIFA World Ranking The FIFA Men's World Ranking is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, led by Brazil . The teams of the men's member nations of FIFA, football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the ...
, as well as an increased risk of injury to Premier League players – especially since only very few clubs have medical insurance to cover costs of the rehabilitation of players – further undermining the performance of the national team. However, in a statement released on 25 November 2014, the FKF insisted that the decision to expand the league was "final and irreversible". On 19 December 2014, a statement signed by FKF chairman Sam Nyamweya and KPL chairman Ambrose Rachier revealed the formation of a six-man committee with three representatives from each side to hold talks with three
FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
delegates to come up with resolutions on the crisis. On 15 January 2015, Nyamweya announced that the 2015 Kenyan Premier League season was set to kick off on the second week of February, adding that the FKF was "working hard to ensure all matters are settled as soon as possible". However, Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and the Arts Hassan Wario threatened to disband the FKF the next day, who he said were "letting down Kenya and the youths of this country." On 27 January, the FKF ejected a consultant report sent in by FIFA delegate Robert Niemann regarding the Premier League after FIFA had directed that the report be released to all concerned parties in the crisis, including the KPL. Following a KPL Governing Council meeting held on 24 January 2015, the KPL announced four days later that the league was set to begin on 21 February with 16 teams, with fixtures to be reviewed and approved at a meeting to be held in early February. Committee members expressed hope that an agreement with the FKF would be finalised and signed before the league's kick-off, but authorised matches to be played with or without a signed agreement with the FKF. In response, the FKF announced the creation of the FKF Premier League consisting of 18 teams just hours later, setting its kick-off date for 14 February. Top referees in Kenya showed their support for the KPL thereafter, with one referee asking that if the Federation "cannot be honest with such a small tournament he_2014_FKF_President's_Cup;_officials_had_not_yet_been_paid_for_their_duties_there.html" ;"title="2014_FKF_President's_Cup.html" ;"title="he
he_2014_FKF_President's_Cup;_officials_had_not_yet_been_paid_for_their_duties_there">2014_FKF_President's_Cup.html"_;"title="he_2014_FKF_President's_Cup">he_2014_FKF_President's_Cup;_officials_had_not_yet_been_paid_for_their_duties_there_how_can_they_be_trusted_to_run_the_league?" On_30_January,_Wario_ordered_the_FKF_to_release_the_previously_ejected_FIFA_report_to_all_concerned_parties_including_the_Ministry_of_Sports,_Culture_and_the_Arts_"without_any_further_delay"._In_response,_the_FKF_insisted_that_the_report_was_not_meant_for_"any_other_parties"_other_than_itself_and_the_Kenyan_Premier_League._In_a_Special_General_Meeting_convened_by_the_FKF_the_same_day,_the_governing_body_resolved_to_maintain_its_previous_directive_to_stage_the_eighteen-team_FKF_Premier_League._On_2_February_2015,_the_KPL_declared_it_would_"ignore_any_FKF_decisions_and_threats_which_violate_the_previous_FIFA_and_FKF-KPL_cooperation_agreements_and_arrangements_over_the_last_decade,_adding_that_it_would_"refocus_KPL's_limited_resources_on_continuing_to_make_the_KPL_one_of_the_most_corruption-free,_professionally_managed,_highly_competitive_and_widely_admired_leagues_in_Africa"_instead_of_"wasting_any_more_time_and_energy_on_unproductive_wrangles". In_the_FIFA_report_that_was_finally_sent_to_KPL_chairman_Ambrose_Rachier,_it_emerged_that_FIFA_had_recommended_that_the_KPL_continue_to_be_competed_by_16_teams_for_the_2015_season_and_that_the_KPL_remain_the_official_body_to_run_the_Kenyan_top_flight_on_behalf_of_the_FKF._The_report_also_revealed_that_FKF_chairman_Sam_Nyamweya_influenced_the_promotion_of_
he_2014_FKF_President's_Cup;_officials_had_not_yet_been_paid_for_their_duties_there">2014_FKF_President's_Cup.html"_;"title="he_2014_FKF_President's_Cup">he_2014_FKF_President's_Cup;_officials_had_not_yet_been_paid_for_their_duties_there_how_can_they_be_trusted_to_run_the_league?" On_30_January,_Wario_ordered_the_FKF_to_release_the_previously_ejected_FIFA_report_to_all_concerned_parties_including_the_Ministry_of_Sports,_Culture_and_the_Arts_"without_any_further_delay"._In_response,_the_FKF_insisted_that_the_report_was_not_meant_for_"any_other_parties"_other_than_itself_and_the_Kenyan_Premier_League._In_a_Special_General_Meeting_convened_by_the_FKF_the_same_day,_the_governing_body_resolved_to_maintain_its_previous_directive_to_stage_the_eighteen-team_FKF_Premier_League._On_2_February_2015,_the_KPL_declared_it_would_"ignore_any_FKF_decisions_and_threats_which_violate_the_previous_FIFA_and_FKF-KPL_cooperation_agreements_and_arrangements_over_the_last_decade,_adding_that_it_would_"refocus_KPL's_limited_resources_on_continuing_to_make_the_KPL_one_of_the_most_corruption-free,_professionally_managed,_highly_competitive_and_widely_admired_leagues_in_Africa"_instead_of_"wasting_any_more_time_and_energy_on_unproductive_wrangles". In_the_FIFA_report_that_was_finally_sent_to_KPL_chairman_Ambrose_Rachier,_it_emerged_that_FIFA_had_recommended_that_the_KPL_continue_to_be_competed_by_16_teams_for_the_2015_season_and_that_the_KPL_remain_the_official_body_to_run_the_Kenyan_top_flight_on_behalf_of_the_FKF._The_report_also_revealed_that_FKF_chairman_Sam_Nyamweya_influenced_the_promotion_of_Shabana_F.C.">Shabana_ Shabana_is_a_feminine_given_name._People_named_Shabana_include: *Shabana_(actress),_Bangladeshi_actress_ *_Shabana_(dancer),_a_Pakistani_dancer_killed_by_the_Taliban *_Shabana_Akhtar,_Pakistani_athlete *Shabana_Azmi,_Indian_actress *Shabana_Bakhsh_...
_from_the_
he_2014_FKF_President's_Cup;_officials_had_not_yet_been_paid_for_their_duties_there">2014_FKF_President's_Cup.html"_;"title="he_2014_FKF_President's_Cup">he_2014_FKF_President's_Cup;_officials_had_not_yet_been_paid_for_their_duties_there_how_can_they_be_trusted_to_run_the_league?" On_30_January,_Wario_ordered_the_FKF_to_release_the_previously_ejected_FIFA_report_to_all_concerned_parties_including_the_Ministry_of_Sports,_Culture_and_the_Arts_"without_any_further_delay"._In_response,_the_FKF_insisted_that_the_report_was_not_meant_for_"any_other_parties"_other_than_itself_and_the_Kenyan_Premier_League._In_a_Special_General_Meeting_convened_by_the_FKF_the_same_day,_the_governing_body_resolved_to_maintain_its_previous_directive_to_stage_the_eighteen-team_FKF_Premier_League._On_2_February_2015,_the_KPL_declared_it_would_"ignore_any_FKF_decisions_and_threats_which_violate_the_previous_FIFA_and_FKF-KPL_cooperation_agreements_and_arrangements_over_the_last_decade,_adding_that_it_would_"refocus_KPL's_limited_resources_on_continuing_to_make_the_KPL_one_of_the_most_corruption-free,_professionally_managed,_highly_competitive_and_widely_admired_leagues_in_Africa"_instead_of_"wasting_any_more_time_and_energy_on_unproductive_wrangles". In_the_FIFA_report_that_was_finally_sent_to_KPL_chairman_Ambrose_Rachier,_it_emerged_that_FIFA_had_recommended_that_the_KPL_continue_to_be_competed_by_16_teams_for_the_2015_season_and_that_the_KPL_remain_the_official_body_to_run_the_Kenyan_top_flight_on_behalf_of_the_FKF._The_report_also_revealed_that_FKF_chairman_Sam_Nyamweya_influenced_the_promotion_of_Shabana_F.C.">Shabana_ Shabana_is_a_feminine_given_name._People_named_Shabana_include: *Shabana_(actress),_Bangladeshi_actress_ *_Shabana_(dancer),_a_Pakistani_dancer_killed_by_the_Taliban *_Shabana_Akhtar,_Pakistani_athlete *Shabana_Azmi,_Indian_actress *Shabana_Bakhsh_...
_from_the_Kenyan_National_Super_League">National_Super_League_ The_National_Super_League_is_a_league_for_semi-professional_association_football_clubs_in_Trinidad_and_Tobago._It_is_the_second-highest_division_of_the_Trinidad_and_Tobago_football_league_system._The_league_currently_comprises_19_teams_between_2_l_...
_to_the_Premier_League,_a_move_that_was_previously_questioned_by_the_KPL_Governing_Council_in_December_2014. After_2014_league_champions_Gor_Mahia_ Gor_Mahia_Football_Club_(),_commonly_also_known_as_''K'Ogalo''_(),_is_a__football_club_based_in_Nairobi,_Kenya._They_have_won_the_Kenyan_Premier_League_a_record_19_times,_and_have_also_won_the_FKF_President's_Cup_a_record_11_times._They_are_the_o_...
_beat_2014_cup_champions_Sofapaka_F.C..html" "title="Kenyan_National_Super_League.html" "title="Shabana_F.C..html" "title="2014 FKF President's Cup">he 2014 FKF President's Cup; officials had not yet been paid for their duties there">2014_FKF_President's_Cup.html" ;"title="he 2014 FKF President's Cup">he 2014 FKF President's Cup; officials had not yet been paid for their duties there how can they be trusted to run the league?" On 30 January, Wario ordered the FKF to release the previously ejected FIFA report to all concerned parties including the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts "without any further delay". In response, the FKF insisted that the report was not meant for "any other parties" other than itself and the Kenyan Premier League. In a Special General Meeting convened by the FKF the same day, the governing body resolved to maintain its previous directive to stage the eighteen-team FKF Premier League. On 2 February 2015, the KPL declared it would "ignore any FKF decisions and threats which violate the previous FIFA and FKF-KPL cooperation agreements and arrangements over the last decade, adding that it would "refocus KPL's limited resources on continuing to make the KPL one of the most corruption-free, professionally managed, highly competitive and widely admired leagues in Africa" instead of "wasting any more time and energy on unproductive wrangles". In the FIFA report that was finally sent to KPL chairman Ambrose Rachier, it emerged that FIFA had recommended that the KPL continue to be competed by 16 teams for the 2015 season and that the KPL remain the official body to run the Kenyan top flight on behalf of the FKF. The report also revealed that FKF chairman Sam Nyamweya influenced the promotion of Shabana F.C.">Shabana Shabana is a feminine given name. People named Shabana include: *Shabana (actress), Bangladeshi actress * Shabana (dancer), a Pakistani dancer killed by the Taliban * Shabana Akhtar, Pakistani athlete *Shabana Azmi, Indian actress *Shabana Bakhsh ...
 from the Kenyan National Super League">National Super League The National Super League is a league for semi-professional association football clubs in Trinidad and Tobago. It is the second-highest division of the Trinidad and Tobago football league system. The league currently comprises 19 teams between 2 l ...
 to the Premier League, a move that was previously questioned by the KPL Governing Council in December 2014. After 2014 league champions
Gor Mahia Gor Mahia Football Club (), commonly also known as ''K'Ogalo'' (), is a football club based in Nairobi, Kenya. They have won the Kenyan Premier League a record 19 times, and have also won the FKF President's Cup a record 11 times. They are the o ...
beat 2014 cup champions Sofapaka F.C.">Sofapaka Sofapaka Football Club (Sofapaka: Sote kama Familia kwa Pamoja Kuafikia Azimio – Kiswahili: ''We as a Family together to achieve a goal'') is a football club, based in Wundanyi, Taita Taveta County. They play their home games at the Wundan ...
 at the
2015 Kenyan Super Cup The 2015 Kenyan Super Cup was a Kenyan football match contested by the 2014 Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia and the 2014 FKF President's Cup champions Sofapaka. Gor Mahia won the match 2–1 after 90 minutes. The winners claimed KSh.75 ...
, the FKF fined both teams a total of KSh.200,000/= each for participating in the unsanctioned match, adding that the teams would face further disciplinary action if they continued to defy them, while the match officials were all also handed three-month bans for participating in the match. On 13 February, Sofapaka president Elly Kalekwa announced that neither his club nor any other KPL club would honour the FKF Premier League and pledged to remain a part of the KPL. The FKF later kicked out all KPL clubs from the FKF Premier League and drew member clubs from the National Super League, with its first match ending in a 1–0 victory for
Shabana Shabana is a feminine given name. People named Shabana include: *Shabana (actress), Bangladeshi actress * Shabana (dancer), a Pakistani dancer killed by the Taliban * Shabana Akhtar, Pakistani athlete *Shabana Azmi, Indian actress *Shabana Bakhsh ...
over
Nakumatt Nakumatt was a Kenyan supermarket chain. "Nakumatt" is an abbreviation for Nakuru Mattress. Overview , Nakumatt had 65 stores in the African Great Lakes countries of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. It employed over 5,500, and had gross an ...
. Having been given until 18 February by Cabinet Secretary Wario to reach an agreement over the running and composition of Kenya's top flight, talks between the KPL and the FKF collapsed once more, with KPL chairman Rachier stating that the KPL walked out on the meeting because the FKF showed up with 30 representatives to outnumber them and win a vote that was to be taken on the issue. On 24 February, a court order acquired by the FKF forced the season to be put on hold, while the KPL presented documents challenging the ruling the following day. After the court injunction was extended in a hearing on 5 March, the
High Court of Kenya The High Court of Kenya is a court of unlimited original jurisdiction in criminal and civil matters established under article 165 of the constitution of Kenya The Constitution of Kenya is the supreme lawof the Republic of Kenya. There have b ...
allowed the league to continue operations through a ruling delivered on 16 March. Lady Justice Aburili, who presided over the case, ruled that the FKF could not sue or be sued under its own name unless its officials began legal proceedings on its behalf and advised that a solution to the crisis be agreed on between the two parties out of court. On 23 March, a FIFA delegation assigned to the case, led by
Ghana Football Association The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is a governing body of association football, based in Accra. Founded in 1957, it was dissolved with "immediate effect", according to Minister of Sport, Isaac Kwame Asiamah, on 7 June 2018, after the uncoverin ...
president
Kwesi Nyantakyi Kwesi Nyantakyi is a Ghanaian banker, lawyer and former football administrator. He was the president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) from 30 December 2005 until 7 June 2018. Nyantakyi officially resigned a day later. However, four hour ...
, announced its support for the 16-team Kenyan Premier League but suggested that the league be contested by 18 teams from 2016 onwards. The same day, an agreement was finalised between FKF and KPL representatives, with the two parties agreeing on a number of issues, including the official recognition of the KPL as the top tier and the FKF PL as the second tier of the
Kenyan football league system The Kenyan football league system is a series of several interconnected leagues for association football clubs in Kenya. Structure As of 2017,the top tier league in Kenya is the FKF Premier League, with the FKF National Super League below it. Th ...
for 2015 and the allocation of all commercial rights for the top division beginning 2016, as well as a memorandum of understanding outlining the
promotion and relegation In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues. ...
system between the two leagues for 2015 and the relationship between the two parties regarding the government of the top tier beginning 2016.


League table


Positions by round

The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included to the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards. For example, if a match is scheduled for matchday 13, but then postponed and played between days 16 and 17, it will be added to the standings for day 16.


Results


Top scorers

Last updated: 1 November 2015


Hat-tricks


Awards


Player of the Month

On 28 April 2015, the Sports Journalists' Association of Kenya (SJAK), in partnership with the league's sponsors SportPesa, launched the KPL Player of the Month award to be given to the best performing player over each month, selected by a panel consisting of members of the SJAK. The winner receives KSh.50,000/= in prize money, as well as a personalised trophy and a 42-inch
smart TV A smart TV, also known as a connected TV (CTV), is a traditional television set with integrated Internet and interactive Web 2.0 features, which allows users to stream music and videos, browse the internet, and view photos. Smart TVs are a techno ...
. The recipient of the inaugural award was
Gor Mahia Gor Mahia Football Club (), commonly also known as ''K'Ogalo'' (), is a football club based in Nairobi, Kenya. They have won the Kenyan Premier League a record 19 times, and have also won the FKF President's Cup a record 11 times. They are the o ...
midfielder
Ali Abondo Victor Ali Hassan Abondo (born 20 November 1989 in Kisumu) is a Kenyan footballer who currently plays for Wazito and the Kenya national team as a midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders m ...
, who was recognised as the best player for the month of March.


See also

* 2015 FKF President's Cup * 2015 KPL Top 8 Cup *
2015 Kenyan Super Cup The 2015 Kenyan Super Cup was a Kenyan football match contested by the 2014 Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia and the 2014 FKF President's Cup champions Sofapaka. Gor Mahia won the match 2–1 after 90 minutes. The winners claimed KSh.75 ...


References

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1
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