Sony Sugar fails to stock Nakumatt as KPL debuts on Viusasa

Sony Sugar spurned the chance to go top of the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) standings as they laboured to a dour 0-0 draw away at Nakumatt FC on Saturday.

The clash – a first of the day’s double- header at the Ruaraka grounds – marked the first ever top-flight match to be live-streamed on Kenya’s leading Video On Demand platform Viusasa with mobile phone users getting the chance to watch their favourite league on their devices.

Sony came into the clash sitting at third on the log with six points and looked certain to finish the afternoon at the summit playing against a Nakumatt side struggling for both form and motivation. Had Sony won the tie, they would have hauled their points tally to nine, leap-frogging Mathare United and Gor Mahia who are first and second on seven and six points respectively, but who are not be in action until Sunday.

Nakumatt coach Anthony Mwangi had indicated his charges were training separately in the run-up to the duel due to financial constraints, but on the pitch,  the cash-strapped side put up a spirited fight to earn a crucial point.

Boniface Mukhekhe was given a clear sight on goal but he was flagged offside before he could trouble goalkeeper Kelvin Omondi.

Clinton Omondi then embarked on a solo run on the other end and attempted a shot from the wing but it was hacked away by Eugene Ambulwa. The clearance fell to Benjamin Mosha whose shot was again blocked.

The troublesome Omondi found space to run into again this time on the right wing but his delivery let him down as Kelvin Omondi arrived to intercept and clear the danger.

Midfielder Tyrone Owino then caught Omondi flat-footed with a dipping effort from the right wing but it went just beyond the top corner of the frame.

Neither side was holding the ball long enough to create a decent chance with the game needing a moment of individual brilliance in order to find the breakthrough.

Omondi was promising to be just that, forcing the home defence into conceding a corner and then turning in a good delivery from the resultant kick only for Donald Mosoti to cut it out. It fell to Omondi again but he scuffed his shot and Frankline Kirimi picked it up easily.

Sony substitute Derrick Otanga did well to beat his marker and whipped in a neat cross but there was no one on the end of it as it sailed across goal to the opposite wing where teammate Victor Ademba picked it up.

Ademba, however, rushed his shot and Kirimi watched it go out of play with no harm.