Tusker and Ulinzi win to enter Top-8 semi-finals
Bandari's Bernard Mangoli (right) tussles for the ball with Tusker's Cercidy Lumumba during their Kenyan Premier League Top-8 match played on May 5, 2016 at Nyayo Stadium. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The brewers edged out Bandari 2-1 in the first quarter-final match played at a muddy Nyayo National Stadium while Ingwe fell 3-2 to Ulinzi in a see-saw battle.
- Mark Makwatta pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area to send it rolling into the net with goalkeeper Lucas Indeche well off his line in the fifth minute.
- In the earlier quarter-final, Kenya international Humphrey Mieno scored a brace for Tusker to eliminate Bandari.
Tusker and Ulinzi Stars on Sunday advanced to the semi-finals of the Kenyan Premier League Top-8 Knockout tournament at the expense of Bandari and AFC Leopards.
The brewers edged out Bandari 2-1 in the first quarter-final match played at a muddy Nyayo National Stadium while Ingwe fell 3-2 to Ulinzi in a see-saw battle.
Amidst loud cheers from their fans, Ingwe went behind in the fifth minute when after Mark Makwatta pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area to send it rolling into the net with goalkeeper Lucas Indeche well off his line.
The hard-fighting Ingwe came right back at the soldiers in superb fashion.
They got their equaliser in the 53rd minute when winger Clifton Miheso beat two defenders to blast the ball past goalkeeper James Saruni.
Miheso was at it again four minutes later unleashing a brilliant low free kick that went round the soldiers’ human wall and into the right corner of the net.
CONCEDED AGAIN
But the Big Cats conceded again in the 78th minute when Makwatta made use of the available space outside the penalty area to send a thunderbolt past Indeche.
The match looked destined for a penalty shoot-out before Enosh Ochieng' netted Ulinzi’s third and winner right at the 90th minute mark. In the earlier quarter-final, Kenya international Humphrey Mieno scored a brace for Tusker to eliminate Bandari.
The dockers had gone in front through a wonderful effort by Edwin Lavatsa 13 minutes into the game. Mieno opened his account in the 21st minute when he connected with a cross dispatched by Ronald Musana.
Mieno completed his brace in the 57th minute. He got on the end of a swiping move by Tusker that swung from one wing to the other before ending in Bandari’s net via Mieno’s firm header.
Coach Twahir Muhiddin accused his charges of going against his instructions, saying that “they should have known better”.
“I am not blaming them but we had discussed everything that has happened here. We have conceded school boy goals,” the furious coach said.
The last two quarter-final games will be played today afternoon at Nyayo where Muhoroni Youth will face Sofapaka as defending champions Gor Mahia tackle Ushuru.
