Posta Rangers 1-2 Sofapaka: Batoto ba Mungu earn CAF Confederation Cup berth after late win

Never mind the heartache they endured in the final day of the Kenyan Premier League season last weekend. Sofapaka – recently rated as the best club in East Africa - are the GOtv Shield Cup champions.

A late goal by Clifton Miheso – the left-footed Kenyan international winger – assured Batoto ba Mungu a place in the CAF Confederation Cup fixtures next year. Sweet victory for a team that
Never mind the torrid financial difficulties the club has endured since the beginning of the season.

The 2-1 win over a team that earned it’s promotion in to the Kenyan Premier League a few weeks ago may have been the least one expected from a team that came minutes of winning the league this term, but Posta Rangers goalkeeper Ian Otieno deserves the plaudits for saving his side from a bigger margin loss in this pulsating final play at the Afraha Stadium in Nakuru on Saturday.

SECOND HALF

Having endured a scoreless opening 45 minutes, with a tale of missed clear cut chances by the KPL runners up, it took seven minutes for Enoch Agwanda - the second runners up in the KPL Golden Boot race - to open the scoring from an Abdoul Razak cross after the restart. A lead that the Sofapaka drummers had not finished comprehending before former Kenyan international defender Pascal Ochieng put the ball past David Okello to draw level from an Edwin Mwaura corner.

The tie looked set for a penalty shout-out ending, but Miheso rescued them from the nerve-shredding prospect of the lotteries. Ian Otieno’s only low point in the match will haunt him forever. A miscalculated move allowed Miheso’s long range cross to bounce past the keeper - who had been brilliant for 86 minutes - into the back of the net. Disaster.

There was no way back for George Maina’s side into this match.