Waithira Brace Nails Nakumatt FC's SPL Status At Ushuru's Expense

28th October 2018 - by SPN Correspondent

Retailers seal 3-0 aggregate victory with a 2-0 win in the second leg of the SPL/NSL play-off at Kasarani

Nakumatt FC players and staff celebrate winning the 2018 SPL/NSL play-off at MISC, Kasarani on Sunday, October 28, 2018. PHOTO/FKF

SUMMARY

Defeat marked the second season in a row that coach Ken Kenyatta’s Ushuru have failed to earn promotion to the top flight after losing last year’s play-off 1-2 on aggregate to Thika United FC
Waithira opened the scoring midway through the first half when he latched on to a through pass, rounded a defender before finishing with a beautiful lob over Kennedy Obwanda in the taxmen’s goal

NAIROBI, Kenya- Joe Waithira notched a brace to rouse Nakumatt FC to a 2-0 victory over Ushuru FC to secure their 2018/19 SportPesa Premier League status on Sunday.

Leading 1-0 from the first leg of the SPL/National Super League play-off, the retailers who finished 16th in the top flight last season sealed an emphatic 3-0 victory on aggregate over the taxmen at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

Defeat marked the second season in a row that coach Ken Kenyatta’s Ushuru have failed to earn promotion to the top flight after losing last year’s play-off 1-2 on aggregate to Thika United FC.

Waithira opened the scoring midway through the first half when he latched on to a through pass, rounded a defender before finishing with a beautiful lob over Kennedy Obwanda in the taxmen’s goal.

Ushuru came close to restoring parity on the day when former Premier League Most Valuable Player, Ekhaliani Ndolo found Maxwell Ravel from a corner only for the latter’s effort to smack the crossbar as Nakumatt went to the break 1-0 up.

Inches away

Three minutes after the restart, Oscar Mbugua was only inches away from making it 1-1 as his finish went agonisingly wide off the target.

Waithira then had the last word when he replicated his finish from the first half to seal the result with 20 minutes to go.

Tom Adwar scored the winner from a long-range free-kick in the first leg played at Camp Toyoyo, Nairobi on October 19 to give the ratailers an advantage to carry to the second leg.

The result was a glorious finish to the season for Nakumatt who faced disbandment following the financial woes that plagued their benefactors and retail giants earlier in the season.

After recovering to move up the table, a late season slump in form saw them drop to 16th on the final day of the SPL to leave their top flight fate at the hands of the play-off.

Ushuru will join Thika, the winners of the play off last year, in the NSL after the latter finished rock bottom of the SPL to do down alongside Wazito FC.