Sofapaka Scale Mount Kenya For Opening SPL Victory In Machakos
9th December 2018
Stephen Waruru second half penalty settles the contest 2-1 in favour of the 2009 league champions
- John Avire opened the scoring two minutes before the break before Stephen Waruru and Amani Kyatta traded penalties for Batoto ba Mungu and Mount Kenya in the second half for the result
- Mount Kenya won a free kick that was rammed in by Samuel Ndung’u but Richard Aimo in the Sofapaka extended well to parry the ball out
- Kyatta halved the deficit before Medo withdrew Waruru for midfielder Elly Asieche in a bid to see out the game
MACHAKOS, Kenya- Former champions Sofapaka FC got their 2018/19 SportPesa Premier League charge off the ground with a 2-1 victory over Mount Kenya FC at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on Sunday.
John Avire opened the scoring two minutes before the break before Stephen Waruru and Amani Kyatta traded penalties for Batoto ba Mungu and Mount Kenya- who finished a man short- in the second half for the result.
Waruru, the ex-Ulinzi Stars FC star got the first sniff at goal in the fourth minute with a shot from range that fizzled wide before he created the next chance two minutes later as head coach Melis Medo enjoyed victory against his former side on his SPL debut with Sofapaka.
The winger floated in a cross from the left but neither Cliff Kasuti or Mike Oduor could convert when they arrived at the back post to attack the ball.
They were almost made to rue the miss when the team formerly known as Nakumatt FC went on the offensive in the very next turn of play.
Mount Kenya won a free kick that was rammed in by Samuel Ndung’u but Richard Aimo in the Sofapaka extended well to parry the ball out.
Anthony Mwangi’s team went even closer in the 12th when Tevin Opondo picked the ball behind the defence and rounded Aimo only for the striker to smack the ball to the post and out for safety much to the relief of the losing 2017 SportPesa Shield finalists.
Threatened again
Waruru threatened yet again a breakthrough when he got the better of Phillip Odhiambo in the Mount Kenya goal but his cut back failed to find any of his teammates to tuck the ball into the net.
Avire found the side netting in the 20th after finding space on the right to advance towards the target before Aimo was called to repel Kyata’s goal-bound effort as the visitors spurned the opportunity to stun Sofapaka eight minutes later.
Avire who was fired up by facing his former team, somehow failed to produce the goods when he was sprung through on goal, beat Odhiambo but could not steer the ball to an empty net in the 33rd, perhaps put off by pressure from the retreating Frank Balla.
He made amends two minutes from half time when he claimed the opener with a diving header from a Titus Echesa cross.
Seasoned forward Kepha Awani replaced the ineffectual Justine Mico when the teams switched sides with the substitute being upended in the 53rd for the penalty that gave Waruru the chance to establish a 2-0 cushion.
Mount Kenya were still not out of it and Aimo gifted them a route back to the game when he hacked down Boniface Mukhekhe with just over quarter of an hour to go.
Kyatta halved the deficit before Medo withdrew Waruru for midfielder Elly Asieche in a bid to see out the game.
Mount Kenya were forced to finish the contest with 10 men when Aswani and Odhiambo collided with the latter unable to continue after lengthy treatment.