Bandari Sink Sofapaka In SPL Glamour Tie, Stima Shock Tusker

MACHAKOS, Kenya- Bandari FC sunk Sofapaka FC 2-1 in Sunday’s glamour SportPesa Premier League clash at the Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos.

Promoted Western Stima FC also recorded their second win on the bounce when they stunned 11-time winners Tusker FC 1-0 at the Moi Stadium, Kisumu to also join the congested summit of the log alongside Mathare United FC and Kakamega Homeboyz FC who won on Saturday.

The 2010 league winners, Ulinzi Stars FC and Posta Rangers FC came out on top in the Afraha Stadium double header in Nakuru as both notched welcome first SPL victories of this campaign. 

The meeting of pre-season title favourites Sofapaka and Bandari was expected to produce fireworks in Machakos as the headline act of the day but no one was prepared to the storming start to the contest.

Having beaten the champions Gor 2-1 at their Mbaraki Sports Complex backyard in their SPL opener, Bandari got off to the worse possible start when seasoned striker, Kepha Aswani produced the fastest goal in the league thus far when he netted after only 30 seconds for Batoto ba Mungu.

Straight from kick off, Harambee Stars midfielder Dennis Odhiambo got the ball inside the box in the very first attack of the game before feeding teammate Cliff Kasuti.

The former Ulinzi man then sprung Aswani clear to net past Bandari custodian, Farouk Shikalo, as his effort trumped Gor’s Ephrem Guikan’s opener against Zoo Kericho FC midweek.

That is how matters remained until a minute to the hour when the Dockers were rewarded for their enterprise when Yemi Mwana restored parity from a tight angle having been put through by Fred Nkata.

It was left for substitute and another experienced forward, Wycliffe Ochomo to turn around the match in favour of Bandari in the 74th with a simple tap into an empty net having come on for midfielder David King’atua as the visitors sprung the counter.

Substitute Henry Onyago proved to be the difference in Kisumu when he scored a late winner to sink 11-time champions Tusker who are yet to register this term having been tipped among the likely challengers to the crown.

Great game

Ulinzi notched the biggest success of Sunday afternoon when they thumped their guests KCB, withdrawing a 3-1 win against Frank Ouna’s promoted side at Afraha.

Daniel Waweru had a great game for the soldiers, winning the penalty for the first goal before half time that was converted by Elijah Mwanzia in the 40th before providing the assist for the second that was dispatched home by former Sofapaka ace Sydney Okare in the 72nd.

Enosh Ochieng’ wrapped up the victory three minutes from time when he steered the ball into an empty net to punish a blunder by KCB’s Tanzanian goal keeper, Peter Manyika.

Mount Kenya United FC who rebranded from Nakumatt FC will have to wait longer to register their first points of the 2018/19 SPL campaign after going down to Rangers in the earlier match at the same venue.

Sammy Omollo's mailmen took the lead in the 22nd through Ken Mutembei and held their advantage to the break against a hard-fighting Mount Kenya outfit.

It took nine minutes of the restart for ex-Homeboyz player Francis Nambute to make it 2-0 to Rangers but the team that survived relegation by winning the SPL/National Super League play-off against Ushuru FC made a meal of it when Simon Ndung’u halved the difference to set a nervous finish.

Rangers however, remained resolute to claim their first maximum points.