Sportpesa sponsored Kenyan Premier league got to week 19 with impressive performances and big surprises in what could be described as golden moments of both brilliance and heartache.
AFC Leopards continued with their resurgence edging out Sony Sugar at Nyayo Stadium, Thika United shocked pre-match favourites Mathare United, KK Homeboyz edged out Chemelil Sugar while 10-man Western Stima held Posta Rangers to a barren draw in Saturday’s matches.
What a day of action on Sunday . Gor Mahia snatched their winner late, late in the match against City Stars, John Makwatta plundered a hat trick as Ulinzi thrived, table leaders Tusker were surprisingly held by Sofapaka while Bandari ended a poor run with victory against Muhoroni Youth in a fiery encounter on Sunday.
Chemelil Sugar 0-1 Kakamega Homeboyz (Chemelil Sugar Sports Complex)
The fine form of Kakamega Homeboyz continued to play out as they stretched their unbeaten run to six matches.
Charles Momanyi scored the solitary goal of the match in the 60th minute following a sweet counter attack initiated by captain Ali Bhai.
AFC Leopards 1-0 Sony Sugar (Nyayo Stadium)
Skilful Ugandan forward Allan Katerrega scored the all-important goal two minutes into the match.
Katerrega rose high, even as he benefited from poor marking by Sony, to emphatically head in Benard Mang’oli’s corner kick.
The game swung end-to-end, flowing and ebbing in a free spirited contest but no other goals came.
It was a fine outing for Leopards, who picked their seventh point in three matches, as they completed a double this season on Sony Sugar, normally a troublesome team for the big cats.
Mathare United 0-2 Thika United (Nyayo Stadium)
New Thika United signing Onwudi Chibueze of Nigeria broke the deadlock with a brilliant left foot shot in the 79th minute that stunned the pre-match favourites.
Two minutes later, Eugene Mukangula looped a long ball punted deep by Thika goalkeeper Hamza Muwonge over Mathare custodian Wycliffe Kasaya and into the net for a big win for Thika, who have struggled this second leg.
Western Stima 0-0 Posta Rangers (Moi Stadium)
Western Stima’s Joash Onyango was given a red card on 50 minutes for a dangerous tackle on Posta’s Calvin Harris Odongo.
Rangers, though, with a lot expected from them, could not capitalize on their numerical advantage.
Sofapaka 1-1 Tusker (Machakos Stadium)
Moses Odhiambo gave Sofapaka a shock lead against the overwhelming, prematch favourites in the 29th minute when he headed in a cross delivered by Noah Abich.
Utility player Shaffique Batambuze however saved the brewers the blushes on 59 minutes following a goal mouth melee.
This was Sofapaka’s first point in seven matches as the table-leading, title-chasing Tusker dropped their second point in successive match
Bandari 2-1 Muhoroni Youth (Mbaraki Stadium)
The tempestuous match saw two red cards as Bandari recorded their first win in five matches.
David King’atua gave the home team the lead with a free kick goals.
League top scorer Wycliffe Ochomo equalized in the 70th minute for Muhoroni from close range after Bandari goalkeeper Wilson Obungu had spilled a Wycliffe Nyang’echi free kick. This was Ochomo’s 12th goal of the season. But his goal was vigorously protested by Obungu who earned a red card for his troubles.
Ochomo was also later red carded, for the second time in recent times, for roughing up a member of the Bandari medical team attending to a player on the pitch.
Shabaan Kenga restored the home team’s lead in the 75th minute when he bound high high to head in a cross from King’atua.
Ulinzi Stars 3-2 Ushuru (Afraha Stadium)
This was the day that John Makwatta answered all his doubters and haters, and those who have faith in him.
Ushuru went ahead in the 21st minute through a penalty duly converted by Kennedy Oduor.
Ulinzi Stars however provided immediate response, with the on-fire Makwatta converting a penalty in the 22nd minute after Roy Okal had handled the ball inside the box.
Makwatta then gave the soldiers the lead in the 36th minute after Ushuru custodian Shabaan Odhoji had failed to clear the ball in front of his line.
Ushuru however won another penalty in the 45th minute which Maurice Odipo slammed home to level matters.
Ulinzi’s Cylus Shitote saw red in the 44th minute, but even with less numbers, Makwatta grabbed his hat trick and in the process rescued all three points for the soldiers as they marked their first win in five matches.
Gor Mahia 2-1 City Stars (Nyayo Stadium)
Harun Shakava sent in a low shot delivered on the slide past City Stars goalkeeper Ronnie Kagunzi in the 22nd minute to score the first goal of the match and ease the nerves of an anxious Green Army.
But their relief was short lived as seconds later former K’Ogalo striker Ezekiel Odera equalised for City Stars beating Gor custodian Boniface Oluoch on a one-on-one situation after a brilliant team attack.
Midfielder Collins Okoth, who was playing his first match since the beginning of the second leg, secured K’Ogalo all points in the fifth minute of added time when he turned in Enock Agwanda’s throw-in.
The result saw Gor Mahia cut Tusker’s lead at the top of the league table from five to three points.
