Shabana beat Muhoroni to boost survival chances

Shabana on Monday gained more ground in their quest to avoid relegation from the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) after they defeated hosts Muhoroni Youth 2-1 at Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu. 

Goals from Mathew Tegisi and Enock Agwanda on 76 and 80 minutes respectively sealed the important victory for the ‘Glamour Boys’. 

Muhoroni, who are also facing relegation, had taken the lead through Luke Ochieng in the 41st minute.

Muhoroni are 16th on the log with 25 points, just one more than Shabana while Nzoia Sugar are bottom with 17 points. 

Shabana coach Sammy 'Pamzo' Omollo acknowledged that the team found the going tough in the first half.

"The first half presented some hurdles for us, leading me to tweak our defensive strategy following the avoidable goal we let in," remarked Omollo. 

"I'm confident we'll secure our spot in the league. The past two matches have been promising, and we're committed to maintaining the momentum," he asserted. 

Omollo urged fans to turn out and support the team in their upcoming fixture against Kakamega Homeboyz. 

"Our supporters have stood by us through thick and thin, even during losses. I believe they'll be rewarded this time," he emphasised. 

The match was moved to Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium due to security concerns at Muhoroni’s turf – Muhoroni Stadium in Kisumu. 

Both teams headed into the clash highly motivated as they won their respective matches last weekend.

Shabana hammered Posta Rangers 3-0 at Raila Odinga Stadium in Homa Bay while Muhoroni thumped Nairobi City Stars 2-0 at Muhoroni Stadium. 

With the victory, Shabana avenged the 1-0 first leg loss.

Shabana chairman Jared Nivaton lamented over the decision by the home team to hike ticket prices to Sh1,000 for VIPs and Sh500 for terraces. 

“It is unfair to many football lovers because the economy is tough and people are struggling,” lamented Nivaton.