SPL Match-Day 2 Review: Bandari Make Statement, Mathare Take Early Charge

NAIROBI, Kenya- The 2018 SportPesa Premier League (SPL) runners-up Bandari FC continued to show their intent on vying for a maiden title with yet another impressive victory, this time over 2009 champions Sofapaka FC in the highlight fixture of round two in Machakos.

The Dockers opened their charge with victory over champions Gor Mahia FC and on Sunday, Batoto ba Mungu found the coast side too hot to handle as they made yet another huge statement.

Despite their heroics, Bandari trail early pace setters Mathare United FC, who began the season in red-hot form just as they have in the past three and Kakamega Homeboyz FC on goal difference in the embryonic SPL standings.

Western Stima FC lead the running for promoted sides in fourth as the only other team with maximum points from two outings with 23 goals scored in eight matches in the latest offering of the domestic top flight.

Bandari constructed a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Sofapaka at the Kenyatta Stadium where seasoned forward Kepha Aswani got Batoto Ba Mungu off to the perfect start but Congolese striker Yema Mwama and Wycliffe Ochomo scored in the second half to give coach Bernard Mwalala a second win in as many matches.

Sofapaka who ushered in the season with victory over Mount Kenya United FC, slid down to seventh.

On Saturday, Mathare also made it two wins with a resounding 3-0 defeat of 10-man Nzoia Sugar FC at the Bukhungu Stadium courtesy of goals from Cliff Nyakeya, Andrew Juma and Chrispin Oduor with head coach Francis Kimanzi on the hunt for a second league title with the Slum Boys following their 2008 triumph.

However, their ability to last the distance comes into question having raced off the blocks in the previous two campaigns only to run out of steam in the second leg of the competition for the outfit that finished eighth last term.

The defeat left Nzoia in 10th on the log, with the three points they garnered from the 1-0 opening day victory over Zoo Kericho FC who prop the standings following their 0-4 whitewash by Gor in midweek.

Homeboyz FC ran out emphatic 3-0 winners over AFC Leopards SC in the second match of the Bukhungu double header to move up to second with a goal separating them and the league leaders.

Peter Thiong’o broke the deadlock in the 13th before Maxwell Ravel and George Mandela struck in the second half to seal the victory for Homeboyz and plunge Leopards who drew their first fixture to hover above the drop zone in 15th.

Tusker FC are the other domestic giants yet to find their groove early after becoming the second victims of Stima who are marking their return to the top flight after a season-long hiatus.

Henry Onyang’o was the hero for the power men, leaving Robert Matano and his 11-time league winners he led to the 2012 crown still searching for a win in the new season.

Having been stunned 2-0 by Vihiga United FC in the first round, 2010 champion Ulinzi Stars FC regrouped to hand promoted KCB FC a 3-1 beating at Afraha Stadium on Sunday to steady the ship.

Only stalemate

Elijah Mwanzia, Daniel Waweru and Enos Ochieng’ were on target for the soldiers to cancel out Clinton Kisiavuki’s first half effort for the bankers to propel them to eighth on the league table.

Vihiga on the other hand, produced the only stalemate of round two as their visit to Chemelil Sugar FC resulted in a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw on Saturday afternoon.

The game went ahead at the Chemelil Complex only after the Kenyan Premier League Safety Committee cleared the venue for SPL games having earlier banned the ground alongside four others.

The SportPesa/SJAK Player of the Month for October/November, Amos Kigadi, put Vihiga ahead in the 17th and they seemed to be heading for their second successive win until Gilbert Wangulu got the equaliser with seven minutes left in the game.

The Mike Muiruri-coached Vihiga round off the top five with four points, three better than their opponents who occupy 14th after a losing start to Mathare (0-2) in round one.

The renamed Mt. Kenya went down 1-2 at the hands of Posta Rangers FC where the latter scored a first victory of the season as the former only above bottom on goal difference from Zoo.

SPL holders Gor kicked off round two’s action as they got off the mark for the season under new coach Hassan Oktay last Wednesday with a remarkable 4-0 victory over bottom side Zoo.

A first half Ephrem Guikan double and another from Sammy Onyango gave the record league champions a 3-0 halftime lead, before new signing Erisa Ssekisambu added a fourth in the second half to seal all three points for sixth-placed Gor.

Kariobangi Sharks FC will close the round on Tuesday when they face Sony Sugar FC having been out of SPL action this weekend due to their CAF Confederations Cup first leg encounter against Kumasi Asante Kotoko FC of Ghana at the Kasarani Stadium on Saturday.

Both teams played out to a barren draw and Sharks will travel to Ghana for the second leg set for the Bayabara Stadium on Saturday.

SPL ROUND RESULTS

Wednesday

12/12: Gor Mahia FC 4 Zoo Kericho FC 0 – MISC, Kasarani

Saturday

15/12: Mathare United FC 3 Nzoia Sugar FC 0- Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega

15/12: Kakamega Homeboyz FC 3 AFC Leopards SC 0- Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega

15/12: Chemelil Sugar FC 1 Vihiga United FC 1- Chemelil Complex

Sunday

16/12: Sofapaka FC 1 Bandari FC 2- Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos

16/12: Western Stima FC 1 Tusker FC 0- Moi Stadium, Kisumu

16/12: Posta Rangers FC 2 Mt. Kenya United FC 1- Afraha Stadium, Nakuru

16/12: Ulinzi Stars FC 3 KCB FC 1- Afraha

Playing Tuesday

18/12: Kariobangi Sharks FC v Sony Sugar FC- Kenyatta Stadium