Tusker edge Gor in post-match penalties to lift FKF Super Cup

FKF-PL Champions Tusker FC are the winners of the FKF Super Cup, after edging 10-man Gor Mahia 8-7 in post-match penalties on Wednesday at the Thika Stadium.

Regulation time ended with the two sides tied at 1-1, but Fred Nkata, Alpha Onyango and Ernest Wendo were unable to convert their spot kicks giving the Ruaraka brewers the trophy.

Kevin Monyi and Humphrey Mieno also missed their penalties for Tusker, but newly signed goalkeeper Brian Bwire covered their mistakes, by stopping Gor’s three.

Sidney Wahongo, Dennis Ng’ang’a, Frank Odhiambo, Sando Yangayay, Philemon Otieno, Benson Omalla and Gad Matthews converted penalties for K’Ogalo, while Ibrahim Joshua, Daniel Sakari, Boniface Muchiri, Clyde Senaji, Christopher Orchum, Brian Bwire, Jimmy Mbugua and Kalos Kirenge scored their for Tusker.

Gor threw their chance away as Tusker started on the wrong note, as Matthews stopped Monyi’s penalty before Mieno shot over the bar.

Wahongo and Ng’ang’a had made sure it was 2-0 by scoring theirs, only for Bwire, the former Kariobangi Sharks custodian to turn the turn the tables.

In the regulation time, Gor were the first to score through Samuel Onyango, who made no mistake from the spot after Bwire fouled Omalla in the area.

Tusker’s new hitman Joshua responded two minutes later from through a penalty too, after Muchiri was brought down in the box.

This was Joshua’s third goal in his third match, with the post-match penalty he scored taking his tally to four in three outings.

Gor had their captain Haron Shakava given his marching orders early in the second half, but were disciplined enough to fight to the end, taking the match to lotteries.

Tusker head coach Robert Matano congratulated Gor for the good fight.

“It was  a good match. They played well bearing in mind we made a lot of changes in the squad as we are still integrating the new players,” said the coach, with Tusker playing their third competitive match in under a fortnight.

Gor’s Mark Harrison says his players are rusty, attributing it to short period of training in preparation for the new season.

“A proper preseason takes up to six weeks. We have trained for a very short time so we were not at our best,” he offered.

Tusker will open their title defence against troubled AFC Leopards on Sunday, while Gor will be taking on KCB on Saturday.