Ulinzi sink Bandari at Afraha

Ulinzi FC's Borafya Omar (left) vies for the ball with Cliff Kasuti of Bandari FC during their Kenyan Premier League match at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru on November 10, 2019.PHOTO | JOHN NJOROGE |

What you need to know:

  • Ulinzi should thank their goalkeeper Timothy Odhiambo, who foiled many dangerous attacks from Bandari strikers led by William Wadri, Guelord Muama and former Ulinzi Stars striker Cliff Kasuti.
  • “This was a difficult match and collecting maximum points at home by beating Bandari is not a small feat as we were forced to defend the solitary goal at all cost and I am happy we managed to overcome the last minutes attack from our opponents,” said coach Nyangweso.

Bandari returned home empty handed from their upcountry tour when they lost 1-0 to Ulinzi Stars in a Kenyan Premier League match at Afraha Stadium, Nakuru on Sunday.

The Bernard Mwalala men started their disastrous Western Kenya tour on a sour note on Wednesday when they were sunk 3-1 by Western Stima in a mid-week clash at Moi Stadium, Kisumu.

Against the soldiers, the dockers trained their guns on the soldiers moments after referee Judy Muhonja signalled the start of the match, but inaccurate shooting in front of the goal was their main undoing.

However, it was Ulinzi who netted their all-important goal of the match in the 12th minute, when the towering striker Oscar Wamalwa rounded a defender on the left wing and laid a square pass on the path of John Kago, who made no mistake with a powerful ground shot past the stranded goalkeeper Mustapha Oduor.

Wamalwa, who kept the Bandari defence on its toes, nearly doubled the score at half hour mark when his rasping shot went begging as striker John narrowly missed to connect it with a header.

Ulinzi coach Benjamin Nyangweso was forced to recall striker Ibrahim Shambi after he picked an injury in the opening stages of the game and replaced him with Kelvin Thairu.

Nyangweso, who was satisfied with the results, also recalled Omar Bora Afya and Oscar Wamalwa and injected new blood in Boniface Onyango and Ezekiel Okare in the second half.

On the opposite side, coach Mwalala rested Wilberforce Lugogo, Dan Otewa and Hassan Abdallah and introduced Shaban Kenga, Brian Otieno and David Kingatua respectively.

These substitutions saw Bandari camp at the soldiers rear guard, but failed to translate their territorial advantage into goals.

Ulinzi should thank their goalkeeper Timothy Odhiambo, who foiled many dangerous attacks from Bandari strikers led by William Wadri, Guelord Muama and former Ulinzi Stars striker Cliff Kasuti.

“This was a difficult match and collecting maximum points at home by beating Bandari is not a small feat as we were forced to defend the solitary goal at all cost and I am happy we managed to overcome the last minutes attack from our opponents,” said coach Nyangweso.

A crest fallen Mwalala seemed not to accept the results and skipped the post match interview as the technical bench besieged match referee and accused her of biased officiating.