High Drama On SPL 'Final Day' Leaves Golden Boot Race Still Alive

NAIROBI, Kenya- The 2018/19 SportPesa Premier League (SPL) season concluded on Wednesday afternoon amid high drama with veteran striker, Allan Wanga having to wait to find out whether he will be the Golden Boot winner as defeat for Posta Rangers FC to Tusker condemned them to the dreaded play-off position.

The Kenyan Premier League has now rescheduled the fixture between 2010 champions, Ulinzi Stars FC and bottom club Mt. Kenya United FC to Sunday after their match was controversially called off 35 minutes after the scheduled 2pm local time (+3GMT) kick-off.

This is after the visiting team turned up with only eight minutes to kick-off with kit the same colour as that of the soldiers.

Its results will have a bearing on the final winner of the Golden Boot with Ulinzi top scorer, Enosh Ochieng' still in the running for the honours and the KSh500,000 cash prize that comes with it if he can surpass Kakamega Homeboyz FC striker and Kenya international Wanga's tally of 18. 

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Sofapaka FC's Ugandan ace, Umaru Kasumba, was locked with Ochieng' at 17 before the start of play but failed to find the net in their 2-0 victory over Homeboyz leaving the Ulinzi forward with an outright chance to gun for the top honours and emulate the feat of the last soldier to bag the award, Stephen Waruru in the 2012 season.

Incidentally Waruru was the star for Sofapaka, his brace sinking the Kakamega side as the third-placed finishers kept Wanga quiet on the other end and the turn of events will come as mighty relief for Ochieng' who thought his chance had gone when their game at Afraha Stadium was called off and the referees left the venue. 

What is no doubt is Rangers will play the third-placed team in the 2018/19 National Super League (NSL) in a two-legged play-off where the winner will complete the 2019/20 SPL roster after they went down 1-2 away to 11-time champions Tusker FC.

The mailmen dropped to 16th on 32 points after Chemelil Sugar FC (34) and Zoo Kericho FC (33) beat Sony Sugar FC 1-0 and drew against 10-man KCB FC 2-2 in that order on final day to guarantee their automatic places in the top flight for at least another season by finishing 14th and 15th.

Entertaining clash

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Elsewhere, champions Gor Mahia FC ended their campaign by surrendering a 2-0 lead for the third successive time against Mathare United FC in an entertaining clash that ended 2-2 at the Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos.

SportPesa Shield holders, Kariobangi Sharks FC were the third team that tasted victory on the 'closing day' of the campaign when they thumped doomed Vihiga United FC 4-0 in a perfect warm up for Saturday's domestic cup final against Bandari FC who could only manage a 2-2 draw away to Nzoia Sugar FC. 

Sharks and Bandari will lock horns in a repeat of the 2019 SportPesa Cup final where the former lifted the crown with a 1-0 victory at the National Main Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania on January 27 with the two SPL rivals playing the Shield decider at the MISC Kasarani from 3pm local time (+3GMT).

In Machakos, Gor (72) were far superior than their visitors and did well to avoid defeat on the last day of the season in which they managed to retain the title for a third successive season under Turkish tactician Hassan Oktay who celebrated his first league success with the glamour club. 

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Oktay opted for a strong starting line-up with Rwandese forward Jacques Tuyisenge making probably his last appearance for the record league champions and he duly scored from the spot to put the champions ahead in the first half before Boniface Omondi doubled the lead in the 57th minute. 

A cruel own goal got Mathare back in the game before a Cliff Nyakeya penalty restored parity for Francis Kimanzi's side that finished the campaign sixth on 55 having led the charts for the opening six weeks of the campaign in what is becoming an all too familiar tale for the 2008 league winners . 

Mathare dominated the opening minutes of the game and had two shots on goal saved well by Shaban Odhoji in the Gor goal before the champions hit back in the seventh when Boniface Omondi tried to find Tuyisenge with a cheeky overhead pass but the slum boys defence was alert to stop the danger.

Low drive

Tuyisenge broke the deadlock in the 20th from the spot after left back Geoffrey Ochieng' was kicked in the head by Mathare captain James Situma. 

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Gor almost doubled their advantage a minute later after Kenneth Muguna did well to intercept the ball and send a great pass to Tuyisenge but the latter failed to connect well with it.

In the 32nd, Ochieng' found space on the left wing and did well to skip past Situma and send a fierce low drive into the area which rolled past everyone in the penalty area. 

Tuyisenge was at it again in the 39th with a snap shot after displaying great strength to hold off two challenges but the ball went inches wide of the goal. 

Kariobangi Sharks FC players celebrate scoring against Vihiga United FC in their 4-0 SPL victory at the MISC Kasarani Complex on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. PHOTO/Courtesy/Kariobangi Sharks FC 

Mathare pulled one back in the 62nd through an own goal after Clifford Alwanga's shot went in off Pascal Ogweno before Nyakeya restored parity with the second penalty of the contest.

Victory over Rangers catapulted Tusker (56) to finish fourth at the expense of Sony (56) on goal-difference after the latter lost their first game in nine in the 'sugar derby' at the Chemelil Sports Complex as Andre Cassa Mbungo wrapped up his first season in charge of 12-time league winners AFC Leopards SC (43) by leading the side into the top 10, pending the Ulinzi result following a barren draw at Western Stima FC (39). 

Stima finished 13th on their return to the SPL, with KCB (45) the other newcomers at the start of the 2018/19 campaign holding on to 9th where only a huge swing in goal-difference when Ulinzi play Mt. Kenya will dislodge them from their place.

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SPL FINAL DAY RESULTS

Kenya - Premier League May 29

Chemelil Sugar 1 - 0 SoNy Sugar

Gor Mahia 2 - 2 Mathare United

KCB 2 - 2 Zoo FC

Kariobangi Sharks 4 - 0 Vihiga United

Nzoia Sugar FC 2 - 2 Bandari

Sofapaka 2 - 0 Kakamega Homeboyz

Tusker FC 2 - 1 Posta Rangers

Ulinzi Stars ? - ? MT Kenya United (rescheduled to Sunday)

Western Stima 0 - 0 AFC Leopards

Standings

1. Gor Mahia 34 21 9 4 58:25 72      

2. Bandari 34 18 10 6 45:29 64      

3. Sofapaka 34 16 14 4 50:30 62      

4. Tusker 34 15 11 8 49:32 56      

5. Sony Sugar 34 16 8 10 41:28 56      

6. Mathare Utd. 34 14 13 7 48:35 55      

7. Kakamega Homeboyz 34 14 10 10 47:31 52      

8. Kariobangi Sharks 34 10 15 9 40:37 45      

9. Kenya CB 34 11 12 11 38:36 45      

10. Leopards 34 11 10 13 33:39 43      

11. Ulinzi Stars 33 9 15 9 32:32 42      

12. Nzoia Sugar 34 9 12 13 31:36 39      

13. Western Stima 34 8 15 11 27:37 39      

14. Chemelil 34 8 10 16 27:41 34      

15. Zoo 34 7 12 15 30:49 33      

16. Posta Rangers 34 7 11 16 28:36 32      

17. Vihiga United 34 4 14 16 27:48 26      

18. Mount Kenya United 33 5 3 25 31:81 18