Ten-time champions Tusker returned to the top of the SportPesa Premier League table on Friday with a close 1-0 victory over battling Kakamega Home at Mumias Sugar Sports Complex.
Gor Mahia continued to match on beating tough Muhoroni Youth for their fourth consecutive win, brave City Stars held pre-match favourites Ushuru, fading Sofapaka fell to Sony Sugar as Bandari yet again lost points in a 1-1 draw with Chemelil Sugar in Saturday’s matches.
It was tough outing for the top league contenders on Sunday as Posta Rangers held former multiple champs AFC Leopards, Ulinzi Stars surrendered a one goal lead to draw with Thika United and league leaders Mathare United survived a scare to rescue a point from charged up Western Stima
Kakamega Homeboyz 0-1 Tusker
The all-important goal came via a penalty kick by second half substitute Stephen Owusu in the 80th minute after Homeboyz goalkeeper Michael Wanyika had fouled Humphrey Mieno in the danger area.
Anthony Ndolo and Noah Wafula came close while Michael Khamati saw his goal disallowed for Tusker, and at the other end Robert Ouma tested goalkeeper David Okello in this bruising encounter.
Homeboyz’s unused substitute Augustine Etemis was shown a red card in the 90th minute for verbally abusing the fourth match official.
The win pushed Tusker to the top of the 16-team table on 24 points, displacing Mathare United, who now lie second two points behind
Gor Mahia 2-0 Muhoroni Youth (Moi Stadium)
Gor’s George “Blackberry” Odhiambo opened the scoring in the seventh minute when he received a cross from Ugandan midfielder Khalid Aucho to slot past Muhoroni goalkeeper Farouk Shikhalo for his fourth league goal of the season.
Rwandan hit man Jacques Tuyisenge doubled the scores in the 58th minute with a nice strike after beating Muhoroni defender Paul Muchika. This was Tuyisenge’s fifth goal of the season as he continued his remarkably scoring record in the Kenyan top flight league averaging a goal a match.
Gor Mahia’s Ernest Wendo was sent off in the 74th minute for his second bookable offence.
City Stars 0-0 Ushuru (Kasarani Stadium)
With this result, Nairobi City Stars ended their four-match losing streak, but this was not enough to lift them out of the relegation zone.
The outcome also left Ushuru six league matches without a win.
Chemelil Sugar 1-1 Bandari (Chemelil Stadium)
Bandari went ahead in the 35th minute through midfielder David King’atua following an assist from former Mathare United striker Edwin Lavatsa.
Victor Ojwang however leveled matters for the home team in the 54th minute with a headed effort off a free kick floated in by Victor Majid. This was Bandari’s fifth draw of the season as they find the going tough in a season of so much promise for the talent-filled side.
Sofapaka 0-1 SonySugar (Kenyatta Stadium)
This was Sofapaka’s ninth loss of the season, and it saw them slump to the bottom of the SPL log as recovering Sony Sugar picked up their first back-to-back win this season.
Samuel Otieno scored the only goal of the match at the stroke of half time to lift his team above Batoto ba Mungu in the league table.
AFC Leopards 0-0 Posta Rangers (Nyayo Stadium)
This result made it four winless games in a row for early season pace setters AFC Leopards.
Rangers’ Joseph Nyaga rattled the woodwork while at the other end AFC Leopards’ most prolific striker thus far this season Kepha Aswana also shock the woodwork in a lively first half.
Mathare United 2-2 Western Stima (Nyayo Stadium)
The slum boys showed their cool to come from two goals down to force a draw right at the death.
Baron Oketch scored the first goal of this game in the sixth minute after breaking loose on the left flanks after out- running Stima defender Joash Onyango to slot the ball past Mathare goalkeeper Peter Odhiambo.
Fredrick Nyarombo got on the end of a Fredrick Shimonyo pass to double the scores for Stima in the 26th minute.
Mathare captain George “Wise” Owino led from the front to pull a goal back on 52nd minute as a commendable comeback for Francis Kimanzi’s men started.
Daniel Mwaura turned in the ball brought forward by influential Eric Johanna in the fourth minute as the league leaders showed character to rescue the match literally from the jaws of defeat.
Thika United 1-1 Ulinzi Stars (Thika Stadium)
Ulinzi Stars were first to score through Enos Ochieng in the 55th minute following a Brian Birgen through pass.
Second half substitute Salim Mzee however equalized for Thika in the 67th minute with a brilliant solo effort that saw him skip past Ulinzi defender Geoffrey Kokoyo as well as goalkeeper James Saruni to finish with aplomb.
