AFC Leopards pile misery on sorry Nzoia

New signing Arthur Gitego on Sunday opened his goal account in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL), as AFC Leopards beat bottom-placed Nzoia Sugar 2-0 at Nyayo National Stadium.

Bandari defeated struggling Shabana by a similar margin at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos, to go joint second on the log with Tusker on 40 points.

KCB’s winless run stretched to eight matches after they battled to a barren draw with Murang’a Seal at Police Sacco Stadium. 

Having drawn 0-0 with Kakamega Homeboyz in their last match of competition, 12-time winners Leopards headed into the clash against struggling Nzoia keen to bounce back to winning ways. 

Before that draw, Ingwe had won five straight matches. Even though Nzoia are last on the log with 16 points only, it was not until in the 78th minute that Ingwe found the breakthrough through striker Gitego.

The Rwandese international scored a hat-trick in Leopards’ 3-0 win over minnows PAC University in the MozzartBet Cup last weekend. 

Winger Hassan Beja sealed Ingwe’s win over Nzoia with an 86th minute strike to stretch their unbeaten run to nine matches. Thanks to a superior goal difference, Ingwe have leapfrogged Homeboyz to eighth place with 34 points. 

“They are winning because the competition in training is very high. Gitego is a team player and he is improving every day. The fans should expect more goals from him in the remaining matches,” said Leopards coach Thomas Trucha.

“Nzoia defended well in the first half but the changes we made by bringing in Kevin Kimani, Luke Namanda and Hassan Beja worked for us.”

Despite the loss, Nzoia Sugar coach Steve Biko is optimistic they will survive the axe with 11 matches to go. Biko said his team is expecting to register improved performance in the coming matches.

“Most of my players are young and inexperienced at the defence but chances of remaining in the league are high. The gap between us and other teams battling relegation is not big so we just have to push ourselves and win,” said Biko.

At Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos, striker Francis Kahiro netted one of the Dockers’ goals, to take his goals tally to nine, just two shy of leading scorer Benson Omala of Gor Mahia. 

Shabana went into the clash against Bandari on the back of a four-match winless run, which has made them a strong relegation candidate.

Coach Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omollo was keen to bring to an end that poor run and bag his second win with the ‘Glamour Boys’ on his seventh match in charge. 

It was not to be as Kahiro opened the scoring for Bandari with a 33rd minute header, before Ugandan William Wadri struck on 81 minutes to seal the victory.

Thirteen-time champions Tusker are ranked ahead of Bandari on the log thanks to a superior goal difference. Defending champions Gor Mahia top with 50 points.

The loss was Shabana’s 13th in 23 matches, where they have tasted victory four times only to lie second last with 18 points. Bottom-placed Nzoia have 17 points.

Shabana’s only victory under coach Omollo was the 5-2 rout they registered over Nzoia on January 14. 

Also feeling the heat is KCB’s coach Bernard Mwalala, as the bankers are yet to taste victory this year.

KCB’s last win was on December 16 when they defeated hosts Kenya Police 2-1. Placed 10th with 30 points, the bankers have garnered just three points in their last eight matches. 

Seal are 11th with 28 points. 

Sunday results

Shabana 0 Bandari 2

KCB 0 Murang’a Seal 0

AFC Leopards 2 Nzoia Sugar 0