Mathare move top as Rangers stun Tusker

Posta Rangers stunned Tusker FC 1-0 in Sunday’s double header at Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium to leave Mathare United as the outright leaders of the SportPesa Premier League (SPL) despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Muhoroni Youth at the same venue.

It fell to former Brewers player, Joseph Mbugi, to put the sword through Tusker when he claimed the winner from the spot in the 30th minute when Joseph Nyaga was felled inside the box by Eugine Asike.

In the second game, Wycliffe Ochomo took only two minutes to give Muhoroni the lead against the title-chasing Slum Boys to take his tally for the season to seven, two clear of Mathare’s Obadiah Ndege in the battle for the Golden Boot.

Francis Kimanzi’s side salvaged the point that took them top of the SPL on 21 points through Whyvonne Isuza who hit the target in the 15th to level the scores and eventually the match.

Ochomo and Isuza were later booked in the second half as Mathare detached themselves from Tusker FC who are second a point adrift having trailed their title-rivals on goal difference for three weeks.

AFC Leopards are third, two off the summit pending any retrospective disciplinary action on their clash against Ulinzi Stars that was abandoned on Saturday with ten minutes to go when crowd trouble erupted at the packed Mumias Sports Complex.

Both sides were locked at 1-1 when play was stopped with promoted Rangers jumping above Kakamega Homeboyz (16) to fourth on 17 with Western Stima and champions Gor Mahia who round the top seven locked at 14.

At Nyayo, both Rangers and Tusker finished the game with ten men after Duncan Otieno and Ugandan Shafik Batambuze were sent off for indiscipline.

Rangers could have nosed ahead as early as the second minute when Timothy Otieno combined well with Dennis Mukaisi but Tusker keeper David Okello made a wonderful save to deny him a certain goal.

Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno’s Mailmen kept the attack going and saw their appeals for a penalty turned down by referee Raphael Nduati after Harambee Stars’ defender James Situma brought down Nyaga inside the danger area three minutes later.

Duncan Otieno then unloaded a fierce shot that forced Okello to another save in the 19th and it was not anybody’s surprise when Rangers went ahead when the lively Nyaga was hacked down in the box.

Tusker suffered blow in the 42nd when Luis Khamadi went out injured and was replaced by Noah Wafula.

Humphrey Mieno went close to claiming a share of the spoils two minutes from time but he fired over with the goal at his mercy and soon after, Rangers went up the other end and Moses Otieno compelled Otieno to make another fine stop to keep the final score 1-0.

ROUND 10 RESULTS

Sunday

Mathare United 1 – 1            Muhoroni Youth

Posta Rangers 1 – 0            Tusker

Saturday

City Stars 0 – 1 Sofapaka

Western Stima 2 – 0 Bandari

Homeboyz     2 – 1   Thika United

Gor Mahia      1 – 0   Sony Sugar

Chemelil Sugar 1 – 0 Ushuru