By Bonface Osano,
AFC Leopards 5-1 Sony Sugar FC
The Friday April 1, 2015 Labour Day fixture was played at the newly refurbished Nyayo stadium.
“This is crushing; nobody expected this kind of result. In all my coaching days, this is the worst result I have ever recorded.” Those sentiments by Sony head coach Zedekiah Otieno speaking to Soccer25east.com after the match sums up the humiliation they received in the hands of a well-oiled Ingwe side that fired from all cylinders. The comfortable win pushed Leopards to 6th in the KPL log with 15 points from 10 matches.
Birthday boy Mike Khamati who enjoyed a super form on the day opened the goal fest in the 7th minute volleying in Noah Wafula’s cross from the right to the joy of the few Ingwe fans who turned up for the match. Andrew Sekayombwa leveled the scores for the visitors almost immediately from a counter attack move, Ingwe however went ahead again in the 24th minute this time from the utility player Joseph Shikokoti’s header from Abdala Juma’s corner.
From then onwards the center did not to hold for the Awendo based side and things started to fall apart when in the 32nd minute marauding Noah Wafula chipped over advancing Sony keeper Lucas Indeche for the third, the score line remained the same into half time break.
Mike Khamati grabbed a brace in the 57th minute heading in another Noah Wafula assist before Jacob Keli finished the rout in the 75th minute.
Coach Zdravko Logarusic was over the moon about the huge harvest, “It feels good and the result is big but this is football. The team played well and we now focus our attention on our next match in Mombasa.”
Ingwe played the last 4 minutes a man less, Jacob Keli was escorted out after picking an injury in the 87th minute.
Sony is 8th in the KPL log with 14 points from 9 matches, they face champions Gor Mahia on Wednesday at home.
AFC Leopards line up: W. Kasaya, E Wafula, Abdala Juma, Jackson Saleh, Fredric Ndaaka (Joseph Wanyonyi), Joseph Shikokoti, Musa Mudde (Duncan Otieno), Benard Mangoli, Jacob Keli, Michael Khamati, Noah Wafula (Ezekiel Seda).
Unused Subs: Joel Bataro, Martin Imbalambala, Karim Ndungwa, amie Diallo, Austin Ikenna.
Sony Sugar Line up: Lucas Indeche, Joseph Omweri, Samuel Olare, Arthur Weyula, Alfred Onyango, Victor Oyugi (Amos Asembeka), Samuel Onyango, Kennedy Oduor (Naftali Okombo), Andrew Sekayombwa, Meshak Muyonga, Angelo Plumy (Marwa Chamberi).
Unused subs: Kevin Omondi, Byron Odiaga, Vincent Ogutu, Nicholas Akoko.
Nakuru All Stars 1-3 Tusker FC
The KPL match that was played at the Afraha stadium on Saturday 2nd saw Jesse Were go top of the scorers chat with 7 goals one more than his competitors for the golden boot award Meddie Kagere and Ali Abondo of Gor Mahia, John Makwata of Ulinzi and Jacob Keli of AFC Leopards. The win also propelled Tusker to second spot in the KPL log with 18 points from 10 matches 5 points shy of leaders Gor who have played a match less.
Frank Balla scored an own goal in 34th minute to put the brewers ahead before Clifford Alwanga doubled the scores for the visitors four minutes later after being set up by substitute Aziz Kemba who earlier came on for Patrick Oboya in the 26th minute, the brewers carried the comfortable lead into the breather.
The brewers continued from where they left in the first half pilling even more pressure on the hosts in the second half and it paid off when in the 62nd minute Aziz Kemba was fouled in the box, Jesse Were stepped up to score the resultant penalty sending All Stars keeper Wycliffe Mukaya the wrong side. Boniface Akenga scored the consolation goal for the hosts in the 70th minute; they remain rock bottom in the KPL log with 3 points from 9 matches.
Western Stima 1-0 Bandari FC
Fredrick Shimonyo’s disputed penalty in the second half helped Stima bounce back to winning ways after two consecutive losses. The win propels Coach Henry Omino’s side to 4th spot in the KPL log with 18 points from 10 matches. The match was staged at the Kisumu stadium on Saturday 2nd .
Bandari FC Coach Twahir Muhiddin added his voice to the growing number of complains about poor officiating in KPL, “I rarely complain about match officials but the referee today was clearly biased today and I am disappointed. The penalty awarded to Stima was not genuine, there was no foul at all on their player. Stima resorted to time wasting but they were not punished.”
The Dockers are 9th in the KPL log with 13 points from 9 matches.
Gor Mahia FC 2-0 Ulinzi Stars
The clinical champions extended the unbeaten run to 9 matches with the 7th win of the season against the soldiers on Saturday at City Stadium. The physical encounter saw both sides giving their all in a bid to cut out each other’s moves especially in the middle of the pack but it was Gor who came out the best in the first half with Meddie Kagere’s goal just before half time. Anthony Muriithi’s back pass to keeper Saruni James was short and he spilled it under pressure from Michael Olunga and Meddie Kagere was just at the right place to tap in the opener.
Earlier on Gor keeper Boniface Oluoch almost gifted the soldiers a goal when he allowed Oscar Wamalwa to steal his ball from a restart position but he recovered fast to rescue the situation for a wasted corner.
The Soldiers came back from the breather much stronger in search of the equalizer but the hosts stood tall thwarting every single threat that came their way. Second half substitute Innocent Wafula who came on for Ali Abondo set up Olunga who scored from a tight angle to double the lead in the 75th minute.
Ulinzi Coach Robert Matano blamed poor officiating for the bitter loss saying they should have been awarded two penalties, they are 5th in the KPL log with 16 points from 9 matches.
City Stars 0-0 Sofapaka
Both sides fired blacks at Nyayo stadium on Saturday, a result that put Sofapaka’s title credentials in question, the Batoto ba Mungu have registered just three wins this season and they look a pale shadow of the last season’s side that pushed for the title to the last day.
Sofapaka is 7th in the KPL log with 15 points from 10 matches; City is 15th with 5 points from same number of matches.
Mathare United 3-0 Muhoroni Youth
The highly entertaining match was played on Sunday 3rd at the Nyayo stadium.Roy Syamba scored Mathare’s opener two minutes into the match when Edwin Ombasa’s header off a cross from the right was spilled by Muhoroni keeper Kiptoo, Ombasa recovered to set Roy who tapped in for the first goal. Muhoroni came close for an equalizer in the 6th minute but George Mandela shot over the bar with the keeper to beat after Notikelly Masasi picked him inside the box with a cross from the right.
Muhoroni’s shaky defense continued to haunt them and in the 8th minute Alphonce Ndonye added the second goal for the slum boys punishing a poor clearance of Vincent Okelo’s cross from the right by Cresten Mwanzo. The exchanges thereafter were fruitless and the Stanly Okumbi side headed into the breather holding on to the healthy lead.
Muhoroni Youth Coach Francis brought on George Mandela for Fred Ochieng in the 58th minute a move that stabilized their midfield as they pressed forward more for goals. The best chance for an opener for the Awasi side came in the 68th minute when another substitute Jeremiah Wanjala cleared Notikelly Masasi’s goal bound goal to save their opponent.
Mathare substitute Emmanuel Ibe scored the third tapping in Roy Syamba’s cross from the right to put matters beyond reach of the visitors.
The win pushes Mathare to position 9 in the log with 13 points from 9 points while Muhoroni slides to 12th with 10 points from 10 matches.
KCB 1-1 Thika United
KCB brought to a halt Thika’s four match unbeaten run forced a 1-1 draw in a KPL match played at the Nyayo national stadium on Sunday; Thika however maintains the second spot in the KPL log with 19 points from 10 matches.
Raymond Omondi opened scoring for the milk men in the 21st minute tapping in a rebound after Dennis Odhiambo’s attempt hit the wood work. Ronald Musana equalized for the bankers at the stroke of half time making sure the scores are even going into the breather.
The second half saw both sides put their best foot forward in search of the winner in vain. Thika United was reduced to 10 men after Michael Luvutsi was sent off for an elbow on Ronald Musana in the 78th minute. The draw leaves KCB 14th in the KPL log with 6 points from 10 matches.
Chemelil FC 1-0 Ushuru FC
Stima bounced back to winning ways beating visiting Ushuru 1-0 in a KPL match played at the Kisumu stadium on Sunday 3rd. The lone goal by Meshack Karani in the first half was enough to push the electricity side to 4th spot in the KPL log with 18 points from 10 matches.
The second successive lose by Ushuru leaves the Coach Ken Kenyatta side 11th in the KPL log with 12 points from 10 matches; they next face strugglers Nakuru All Stars at home.
Find me on twitter @bonfaceosano