Advantage Tusker as Western Stima stifle Gor Mahia at Nyayo
Kennedy Otieno (left) leads his teammates in celebrating after scoring their first goal in their Kenyan Premier League match against Gor Mahia at Nyayo Stadium on October 19, 2016. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |
What you need to know:
- Godfrey Walusimbi appeared to have handed K’Ogalo a hard-earned victory with a free-header in the 78th minute after capitalising on a goal-keeping error by Stima’s Gabriel Andika but substitute Daniel Makachi headed home at the death to ensure shared spoils.
- Gor face eternal rivals AFC Leopards in the Mashemeji derby on Sunday while Tusker will tackle relegation-threatened Nairobi City Stars Nakuru at the same time.
Gor Mahia’s faint hopes of retaining the Kenyan Premier League title took a further blow after they settled for a 2-2 draw with Western Stima at the Nyayo National Stadium on Wednesday.
Godfrey Walusimbi appeared to have handed K’Ogalo a hard-earned victory with a free-header in the 78th minute after capitalising on a goal-keeping error by Stima’s Gabriel Andika but substitute Daniel Makachi headed home at the death to ensure shared spoils.
Kennedy "Agogo" Otieno set the tone for the thrilling duel with a sucker-punch at the stroke of half time completing a sweeping counter attack that materialised after Jacques Tuyisenge had been denied in the opposite goal mouth by Andika.
The game however turned on its head when Enock Agwanda converted a controversial penalty in the 53rd minute after Tuyisenge was adjudged to have been brought down in the box as he navigated his way past the legs of several Stima defenders.
"We did our best but it was not our day but we have to fight up to the last match. We still have to fight for three points in our next match," Gor Mahia coach Jose Marcelo Fereira said after the match.
The draw left Gor on 45 points from 26 games, six shy of leaders Tusker.
And with four matches to go and the two sides set to face off in the final day of season, the title is far from being decided.
“A draw is a fair result but we could have won the match. We now need to maintain the momentum going into the four matches left,” Stima coach Henry Omino said.
GOR MISSES
But like on Sunday when they spurned numerous chances before losing 1-0 to Muhoroni Youth in the KPL Top 8 final, Gor were at their erratic best in the first half missing several scoring opportunities before conceding.
Playmaker Francis Kahata failed to fire home after Walusimbi had swept the ball to his path in the 20th minute.
Stima, who played with determination, then came close five minutes later when Brian Marita fluffed an opportunity after his decision to dribble past Gor goalie Boniface Oluoch in the box was thwarted.
His miss came just two minutes after Kenneth Muguna’s thunderbolt was blocked as Stima launched a two minute blitz of ferocious attacks.
Gor face eternal rivals AFC Leopards in the Mashemeji derby on Sunday while Tusker will tackle relegation-threatened Nairobi City Stars Nakuru at the same time.
