Bankers dash Bandari’s hopes as Sofapaka rout City Stars, Mathare edge Ulinzi Stars

By FEVERPITCH TEAM

Sofapaka and KCB won their fixtures comfortably on Friday night as the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) enters the home stretch.

The bankers blanked visiting Bandari 2-0, while Sofapaka proved their dominance over Nairobi City Stars with a 3-0 win. Both matches were played at Nyayo National Stadium.

The bankers were lifted by goals from Jacob Keli who scored a brace to finally hit ten goals and stayed in touch with top scorer Jesse Were who boasts of 13 goals.

Keli was named man of the match after the fixture. His first goal came in the 26th minute and his second was three minutes into the second half.

Bandari never made any impact and, as KCB coach, Abdalla Juma, had predicted, the cold Nairobi weather seemed to have affected them.

Their best chance of the second half fell on former Gor Mahia forward Ibrahim Kitawi in the 70th minute, but he failed to tap home after Eric Okoth had done all the hard work.

The bankers, determined to hold onto their lead, opted to defend in numbers from the one hour mark onwards and, despite efforts by their opponents to crack the defence, they did not succeed and the scores stayed as KCB shot to seventh spot on the log.

Goals by James Situma, Anthony Kimani and Mustafa Kasolo helped Sofapaka jump to second spot in the standings after they thrashed Nairobi City Stars 3-0.

Situma scored first in the ninth minute before Kimani added another in the 50th minute. Kasolo completed the rout with an 81st minute goal.

Sofapaka new coach Sam Timbe watched from the terraces. City Stars will blame themselves for not getting anything from the fixture atleast before the break.

First Jimmy Bagaye missed to score after David Okello, in goal, punched back into play a Dennis Okoth effort in the 35th minute.

Justus Basweti missed to level the scores for City Stars on the stroke of half time after he found himself unmarked inside the Sofapaka defence.

Determined to convert their chances, City Stars brought in Raymond Omondi for Bruno Sserunkuma but it still not work for them. City Stars had lost 2-0 to Sofapaka in the first leg.

After their latest loss, it means City Stars are yet to win a match since the second leg of the KPL kicked off three weeks ago.

Mathare United came from a goal down to whip stubborn Ulinzi Stars 2-1 in an evenly-contested Tusker Premier League match at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru, yesterday.

Ulinzi drew the first blood through Steve Waruru from a deflection by Mathare United goalkeeper Peter Odhiambo in the sixth minute.

The slum boys equalised in the 40th minute when Dennis Nzomo headed home from a powerful free kick by Osborn Monday for a 1-1 draw at the break.

In the second half, striker Kevin Simiyu saw his blockbuster hit the crossbar for a goal kick in the 59th minute with custodian Odhiambo well-beaten.

As the pressure mounted on the visitors, Simiyu saw a similar powerful shot go begging 10 minutes later.

Mathare United benched Kenneth Wendo for David Mwaura which paid dividends netting the winning goal in the 89th minute.

Chemelil Sugar were held to a barren draw by Western Stima during a closely contested KPL in Chemelil Complex. Both teams played a cautious match well officiated by Nairobi centre referee Isaac Ochieng’.