Singida United of Tanzania edged out Kenya’s AFC Leopards 4-2 on penalty to sail through to the semifinals of the SportPesa Super Cup at Afraha Stadium, Nakuru, Kenya on Tuesday.
The visitors will now take on the defending champions and hot favorites Gor Mahia of Kenya in the round of four Thursday.
Leopards will pinch themselves for bossing a better part of the game but failing to convert their chances including a penalty in the second half.
After an evenly contested first half which retired in a barren stalemate, Ingwe, as Leopards are famously known, stepped up their game to break the deadlock.
And in the 68th minute, a golden opportunity to take the lead popped up after Jeffry Owiti was fouled in the box with the referee pointing to the spot but Whyvonne Isuza could not beat Singida’s goalkeeper Peter Manyika Jr. who dived the right way to punch it out and was up on his feet in time to kick away Raymond Omondi’s follow up shot.
The match ended in a barren draw and had to be decided through penalty shout out. Leopards managed only two successful conversions compared to Singida’s 4 and were bundled out of the competition.
Leopards’ coach Rodolfo Zapata nonetheless praised his team for their spirited fight.
“I’m proud of my boys. They played like Leopards. They are still young, and this was a great experience,” the Argentine said after the match.
His equal opposite Hemed Moroco singled out Manyika for his heroics that kept them in the tournament.
“Our goalkeper is probably the reason we’ve made it to the semis. He performed beyond our expectations. The players also had a good strategy,” Hemed said.
Singida will meet maiden SportPesa Super Cup winners Gor Mahia in the first semis match Thursday with Simba SC also of Tanzania taking on another Kenyan side Kakamega Homeboyz in the other match of the round.
Gor thumped JKU of Zanznibar 3-0, while Homeboyz beat Yanga SC of Tazania 3-1 on Monday to sail through.
The winner of the tournament sponsored by betting giants SportPesa will pocket $30,000 and also earns a chance to play Premier League side Everton in the UK.
