Sofapaka played top-flight football for 17 years

Sofapaka Football Club, often referred to as "Batoto ba Mungu," indeed played in top-flight football for a period spanning 17 years, as confirmed by reporting from the Daily Nation. Their tenure in the Kenyan Premier League, the nation's premier football division, concluded on May 2, a date that marked a significant moment in the club's history. This long run began with considerable fanfare and included a notable achievement in their debut season, which speaks to their initial impact on the league landscape. The Daily Nation article, titled "Started with a bang, ended without a whimper: Sofapaka’s 17 years in top-flight football," directly corroborates the duration of their stay in the top tier. The phrasing "ended without a whimper" suggests a quiet or subdued conclusion to what had been a prolonged presence in the league. The article further clarifies that this "long association with top-flight football came to a painful end on May 2," leaving no ambiguity about the cessation of their 17-year run in the top division. While the provided excerpts do not detail the exact year Sofapaka first gained promotion to the top flight, the emphasis on "17 years" leading up to their