PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO Karuturi Sport's Emmanuel Chimaroke shields the ball from AFC Leopards' Allan Wanga during their Tusker Premier League match played at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on October 24, 2013. Leopards won 1-0. NATION MEDIA GROUP
By Isaac Swila
Allan Wanga’s last gasp dink was all that AFC Leopards needed to sink a resilient Karuturi Sport side in a Tusker Premier League match played at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Thursday evening.
The former Petro Atletico striker in Angola, who has been in sublime form ever since interim coach James Nandwa took charge of the 13 time champions six weeks ago, rose to the occasion when he lobbed the ball over Karuturi’s shot stopper Michael Wanyika in the 87th minute to fire his side to position two on the log.
INGWE RISE TO SECOND
Ingwe now have 44 points, one ahead of Sofapaka who slid to third. However, the victory was insignificant to Ingwe whose faintest title dreams were cut short on Thursday after Football Kenya Federation Appeals Committee ruled to hand Gor Mahia the three contested points resulting from the September 1st abandoned league match against Sony Sugar.
As a result, Gor became champions elect on 56 points, the first time in 18 years with three matches to spare.
The impact of the ruling was clearly discernible as the number of Ingwe fans who turned up to cheer their team was a significant drop from the huge crowd that cheered them to a 2-0 Sunday victory over Sofapaka in the GOtv Shield Cup semis.
Clearly fatigued by the strenuous Sofapaka duel, Leopards were not in their best element and lacked the urgency and intensity that saw them maul the Batoto ba Mungu convincingly.
Their best two chances in the first half came in the 20th minute when winger Noah Wafula was neatly set in the box by veteran Mike Baraza, but with the goal in his sight, Wafula powered his shot way above the cross bar.
ACTION IN MIDFIELD
With the action mainly concentrated in midfield, neither side showed the intent on unsettling the equation until the half hour mark when a neat build up from the centre circle gave roving winger Paul Were a chance to rifle a goal bound shot which was blocked off the line by Karuturi skipper Geoffrey Msiebe, before custodian Michael Wanyika recovered to tuck the ball in his palms.
After the breather Leopards coach Nandwa made a tactical change by introducing playmaker Charles Okwemba for Mike ‘Barry’ Baraza and the change gave Ingwe an upper hand in the midfield battle but they could not capitalise on their opportunities.
With the game swinging in Ingwe’s favour, the 13 time champions got yet another chance when Wafula broke loose deep from Karuturi’s half in the 58th minute and made a penetrating run to pick out centre forward Allan Wanga whose low drive missed the target inches wide with Wanyika well beaten.
Ingwe continued to dominate proceedings in the game with visitors midfielders Amon Muchiri, Peter Juma and Joseph Kariuki reduced to chasing shadows but the largely wasteful Ingwe could not master the finishing skills in the final third with Were spurning yet another chance in the 63rd minute in a contest they would have won by a wider margin.
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