Okumu in action as Elsborg edge AIK in Sweden

Kenyan international defender Joseph Okumu started his second straight game for IF Elsborg after coming back from injury in heir 2-1 win over AIK in a Swedish top-tier match at the Friends Arena on Thursday.

Per Frick opened the scoring in the 18th minute and Jesper Karlsson doubled the lead six minutes before the break to ensure Elfsborg enjoy a 2-0 lead at the breather.

They maintained this lead until a minute to stoppage time when Eritrean forward Henok Goitom pulled one back for AIK. 

Okumu was rested in the 75th minute with Robert Gojani taking his place while former Gor Mahia left-back Eric Ouma did not feature for AIK as he still working on his match fitness after recovering from a bad foot injury.

After the win, Elfsborg are third on the log with 24 points having played 13 matches while AIK remain 12th with 13 points from the same number of matches.

Up next for Elfsborg is an away game against 14th-placed Ostersunds FK on Sunday while AIK will also be away at 10th-placed Mjalby.

In Zambia, Kenyan trio of Harun Shakava, Duke Abuya and Duncan Otieno will have to wait until Sunday to know if their team, Nkana FC, will be declared the Zambian Super League champions

Nkana received a walkover after relegated Nakambala Leopards failed to turn up. The three points lifted Nkana to top of the log on 50 points on Thursday, effectively winning the title but the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) revealed later that Forest Rangers had won an appeal against the awarding of three points to Zanaco when their fixture, scheduled for July 18 did not take kick off.

Rangers had on the same day revealed 17 of their players tested positive for Covid-19 and the game did not go ahead, with FAZ initially awarding the match as a 3-0 walkover to Zanaco but it will now be played on Sunday at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, where victory for Rangers would see them claim the Super League title.

Nkana will hope Zanaco can at least hold Rangers to a draw, which would see the Kitwe side keep hold of the top spot.

Nkana is the most successful team in Zambia having won 12 league titles and are looking forward to winning their first title since 2013.  

Among the clubs who missed out on Africa were Zesco United, home to another Kenyan quartet – David Odhiambo, Jesse Were, Ian Otieno and John Mark Makwata.

Were scored from the spot to rescue a point for the team as they played to a one-all draw with Red Arrows on the same day. Otieno also featured for Zesco between the sticks but Odhiambo and Makwata were not part of the matchday squad. The team finished fifth with 46 points.

The Zambian league resumed last month with most clubs having 10 fixtures to end in the 34-round season. The campaign was however reduced to 27 rounds due to mass COVID-19 positive  results in some clubs, including Forest Rangers and NAPSA Stars.