KCB Bank SportPesa Shield Bronze In 7-1 Demolition Of SS Assad

NAIROBI, Kenya- Kenya Commercial Bank FC (KCB) demolished lowly SS Assad FC 7-1 at the MISC Kasarani Stadium to bag the 2019 SportPesa Shield bronze medal on Saturday in a lopsided encounter that was the curtain raiser for the domestic cup final between holders Kariobangi Sharks FC and Bandari FC at the same venue.

The bankers who marked their return to the top tier SportPesa Premier League last season saw their crushing victory rewarded with KSh750,000 after a brave cup run ended in humiliation for the third tier side that was sensation of the 64-team Shield tournament.

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KCB could have scored up to 10 goals on the day had they not wasted numerous chances to add to the scoreline but nevertheless, it was an encouraging end to the campaign for head coach Frank Ouna and his charges.

The late morning/early afternoon KCB goal avalanche at Kasarani was served up by braces from Simon Munala, Benson Amianda and Clinton Kisiavuki with former Sharks defender Bolton Omwenga also on the scoresheet to bury the third-tier FKF Division One side who stunned four time domestic cup winners Ulinzi Stars FC on their dream run to the semis.

Abdallah Mdeka notched the eighth of the game late on for Assad in what was scant consolation for the side that was handed another mauling in the semis when Bandari whipped them 6-1.

Dazzling exchange

For such a high scoring contest, the only surprise was it took 33 minutes of the first half for the net to bulge when KCB finally made their early dominance count having seen Amianda and Munala missed guilt-edged chances in the fifth and 26th of the contest.

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Kisiavuki showed his teammates how it is done when produced a well taken opener following a dazzling exchange of play in the KCB midfield that tied the Assad defence in knots.

Five minutes later, they got a second through Amianda after Munala laid it on a silver platter when he was put in through on goal by a great pass from Brian Ochieng'.

With a minute left to halftime, KCB were gifted a penalty when Assad were adjudged to have handled the ball in the area and Munala stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way for a healthy 3-0 advantage at the break.

Six minutes after the restart, Amianda notched his double when he tapped in the fourth after the bankers tore through the obliging Assad defence with consummate ease.

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With no threat coming, Omwenga ventured forward from his defensive position to rocket in a fifth for KCB with a ferocious left footed strike that rose into the roof of the net in the 54th before Munala got his second in the 71st and sixth for the winners when he smashed it in after collecting a lovely pass from Martin Nderitu. 

Four minutes later, the humiliation was complete when Kisiavuki helped himself to his brace and his sides' seventh by steering the ball in from close range before Mdeka closed the scoring in the 85th for Assad.

Their keeper Mwapakia saved brilliantly from Munala in the final minute to deny him a hat-trick and the match ball but the damage had already been done.