3K FC turn focus to joining table of men after Mozzart Bet Cup elimination
Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 13.04.26. | 10:00
The Embu-based club fell to the 2019 champions, Bandari at Wang'uru Stadium last Sunday
The road to a first-ever quarter-final appearance in the Mozzart Bet Cup for 3K FC came to an abrupt end at the hands of former champions Bandari FC on Sunday, 12 April at the Wang’uru Stadium.
3K, lost 2-0 to the Premier League side to bow out of the competition.
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Two quick first-half goals, both dispatched from dead balls, sealed 3K’s fate in front of a home crowd that yearns for silverware ever since their side was promoted to the NSL a season ago.
Cifford Ouma and Joseph Otieno were the men to do coach Bernard Mwalala’s bidding with the goals.
On the opposite dugout, assistant coach Dennis ‘Wise’ Okoth admits his opponents were better on the day.
‘’It didn’t go as we had expected, and that’s football. We, however, take positives from this match even after the loss as we go now to focus on the league,’’ he says.
3K had in the run-up to the Bandar fixture edged Denmak FC 4-0 in the Round of 32.
Before that, they had taken apart Limuru FC 8-0 in the Round of 64.
One cannot say they weren’t on course to a potential quarter-final appearance, only that Bandar stood in the way.
A seasoned side in the tournament, even winning it twice over the last ten years, Coach Okoth gives his plaudits to the Dockers for a good game.
‘’I think what undid our plans was the way they hit us a little early. The goals came in fast and were both set plays, so it was hard. We did try to come back in the game, creating a lot of chances but conversion was our hindrance to levelling the scores. So we go back to the drawing board and plan afresh,’’ continues the former Nairobi City Stars man.
3K sits a close 4th on the 20-team NSL table standings with 50 points, a game in hand too and with only 8 points separating them and first place Migori Youth.
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With ten matches yet to play (11 for 3K) before the curtains come down on the league, a lot is going to happen between now and then. Okoth says they now train their guns on promotion to the Premier League, now that they won’t have to deal with fixture congestion, having bowed out of the cup.
‘’ All our efforts now go back to focusing on qualifying for the Premier League because that’s where we want to be. It has been on our mind all season, and now we get the chance to solely focus on it. Promotion to the premiership is the least we expect of our boys this season,’’ he adds.
The 2025/26 NSL season has seen the pole position on the log change hands every match week, with Migori Youth and Mombasa United taking the largest chunks of time spent at the helm, leaving position three to rotate between MOFA, Equity FC, Fortune Sacco and 3K FC.
It’s a prized position as it offers the occupant a chance at promotion to the Premier League in the way of a play-off against the third from bottom team in the top tier.
3K, even though not ruling out a higher position than 3, as 11 matches is a lot, Okoth says.
‘’The matches remaining can change a lot in the table ranking. As a team, all we need to do is focus on winning every single one of them, who knows where that may place us at the end,’’ he concludes.
Up next for 3K is a trip to 8th place Naivas FC.