Leopards stagger as Tusker bottle points

AFC Leopards succumbed to a 1-0 loss to Tusker in a dull Kenyan Premier League match at the Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday.

In Awendo, Sony Sugar thumped Chemelil 3-1.

At Nyayo, Kevin Kimani accounted for the solitary goal, which now sees Tusker rise to third in the league table with 15 points.

The drizzly Nairobi weather ensured a rather slow start for both teams, but it was Ingwe that had the more opportunities through Jacob Keli and Emmanuel Ngama.

The duo tested rookie goalkeeper Farouk Shikalo in quick succession in the opening ten minutes of the match, but the slippery grounds made it difficult for them to hit the target.

In the 21st minute, Kimani guided a lovely free kick to tear through the poorly arranged Leopards wall, soaring beneath Joel Bataro’s arms and into the net to condemn Leopards to their second successive defeat.

The second half continued in the same slow pace, but it was the brewers who showed keener intent to score through Kimani, whose work rate for the day was thoroughly impressive.

Leopards were in real danger of conceding a second goal in the 63rd minute when Kimani released another free kick from the outside the box, but Bataro was more alert this time and punched it out for a corner which proved futile.

Second half substitute Khalid Jumaan almost levelled scores for Ingwe in the 85th minute with a clever flicking of the ball from just outside the box, but unfortunately he placed it out off target.

Coach Francis Kimanzi lauded his charges for the three points, although he said that they deserved more from the match.

FIRST HOME WIN
“In every match, the aim is to get three points and I am happy with the results. However, I feel like we deserved more from the match considering the number of chances we created,” he said.

At Muhoroni, Western Stima lost 1-0 to Muhoroni Youth.

Skipper Abass Akinyemi scored deep in the first half from the spot to hand coach Francis Baraza his first win at home this season.

Stima, who hoped to bounce back from last weekend defeat by Tusker, found themselves in unfamiliar grounds after Akinyemi scored from the spot when Stima defender Hudson Muhako fouled Masitsa Masuta in the box just before the break.