Shootout heartaches for Ushuru, Stima and Nzoia in GOtv shield

Posta Rangers goalkeeper Patrick Matasi was the hero when he led his side to the GOtv Shield last-16 with a nail-biting 5-4 victory on penalties over fellow Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side Ushuru FC at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday.

The mailmen were re-instated to the competition by Football Kenya Federation on Thursday on appeal after being expelled for fielding an ineligible player in their round of 64 tie with Timsales and after their cagey encounter ended 0-0, Matasi rose to the occasion, saving one and scoring his spot-kick in the shootout.

Ushuru’s skipper, Nelson Marosowe, who also dispatched his penalty coolly kept his side in it during the marathon exchanges, shutting out Rangers’ forwards, Timothy Otieno and Neto Collins but was in the end the losing side as the hosts kept the cooler heads to win the match.

Kennedy Oduor, Ebrima Sanneh and Rodgers Ochieng all missed from the spot on an afternoon of defensive masterclass from the top flight sides.

“It was a tense shootout. We trained for this situation yesterday during out last session and I was chosen the best kicker. I was supposed to take the fifth kick but Georson Likono wouldn’t let me. Although he missed it we’re glad to come out on top,” Matasi told Citizen Digital.

Both teams were wasteful in front of goal in the first half as a display of defensive masterclass from Rangers’ center defense duo of skipper, Atudo Jockins, and Odete Charles. Defensive midfielder, Mbugi Joseph, was also brilliant with his disciplined performance shutting out Ushuru FC forwards, Roosevelt Blatty and Sanneh Ebrima.

Posta Rangers almost had a dream start, as striker Timothy Otieno was teed up along the right wing straight from the start but his cross was slightly overhit.

Ushuru saw little of the ball in the opening minutes with John Kiplangat’s fierce shot from the right flank their only meaningful chance.

Neat interplay between midfielder Achesa Titus and Otieno opened up Ushuru’s defense in the 11th minute but the latter’s shot was blocked.

Ushuru’s second chance of the match fell into Maurice Odipo moments later but the midfielder’s shot from outside the box flew off target.

The best chance of the first half fell to Ushuru’s Otieno Philemon after a cutting pass from Liberian forward Roosevelt Blatty. Otieno was, however, unable to find his finishing right in the 21st minute.

Masorowe almost cost his side after a moment of sluggish defending allowed Otieno to sneak in behind him and steal the ball in Ushuru’s box but he failed to capitalize on the mistake, blasting his shot against a sea of defenders when he should have squared it to his teammates.

Ushuru piled late pressure on the hosts but it yielded no fruits as both sides went into the break deadlocked at 0-0.

Defender Jockins Atudo who had been rock solid for Coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno’s side threw his body at Kiplangat’s cross five minutes after the restart to bravely head the ball clear.

Both teams made their changes in the second half with notable changes being the introduction of out of favour forward, Aziz Okaka, in place of the wasteful Blatty and Collins Neto in place of Nairuka John.

While Okaka was just as wasteful, Neto more than once pulled his side close to taking the lead, dribbling past the Ushuru defenders and setting up Otieno but his shot was blocked with only nine minutes to play.

Masorowe, Odipo, Okal Roy and Evans Kiwanuka all scored their spot kicks for Ushuru while Oduor Kennedy, Gambian forward Sanneh Ebrima and Ochieng’ Rodgers missed for the visitors.

Mbugi Joseph, handed the responsibility of taking the first penalty missed his kick, together with subsititute Likono Georson but it was the goalkeeping heroics of Matasi and his calm deciding penalty that guided the Rangers past Ushuru.

In the end, it was an afternoon that defenders stood out while the forwards completely failed to turn up.

Rangers will now play Agro Chemicals in the round of 16.

-End of fairy tale run-

Elsewhere at the Moi Stadium, Kisumu, the fairy tale run of National Super League (NSL) side Nzoia United in the GOtv Shield Cup was painfully brought to an end as they surrendered the semifinal ticket to Ulinzi Stars 4-2 in post-match penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time, at the Moi Stadium Kisumu on Saturday.

It was the Bernard Mwalala coached Nzoia that struck first at the half-hour mark through Lawrence Juma, before John Mark Makwatta restored parity five minutes later for the Soldiers.

Dennis Waweru, former Nzoia United’s striker Mark Bikwokwa, Enosh Ochieng and Godffrey Kokoyo all scored for the 2010 Kenya Premier League (KPL) champions in the penalty shootouts, while Brian Otieno and Lawrence Juma netted two for Nzoia.

Moses Shavanga and goalkeeper Benson Mangala failed to convert the rest for the eventual losers, who were arguably the better side in the clash.

“Winning against Gor Mahia does not mean other team are lesser opponents, so Ulinzi will be another different test,” Nzoia’s Chairman Yaptes Mokuah had told Citizen Digital prior to the match. And surely it turned to be, Nzoia matching Ulinzi in skill but not in experience.

They threatened first in the sixth minute, Luke Namanda setting up Brian Yakhama whose diving header hit the post with goalkeeper James Saruni well beaten.

The end to end exchanges continued, and in the 22nd minute, Ulinzi got their first real chance when defender Hassan ‘Rio’ Mohammed connected powerfully Dan Waweru’s corner, only to be cleared off the line.

Unmarked Juma then broke the deadlock, pouncing on a cleared ball after a corner.

Yakhama should have doubled the lead for minutes earlier but was brought down in the box before he pulled the trigger after a promising run, with the referee ignoring calls for a penalty.

Ulinzi responded to the scare fast, winning a corner a minute later through which Makwatta equalized with a reflex header.

The goal motivated the East Africa Military Games Football champions and almost went to the break leading but Brian Birgen’s well taken shot rattled the woodwork with Mangala out of line.

The teams resumed with clear zeal to score in the second half early spell, but incidences of rough play from both sides almost diluted the exciting clash into a rugged affair.

Brian Birgen, Omar Mbongi, Moses Shavana and Patrick Kwitonda were booked, with none of the teams leaking sending the match to the decisive spot-kicks.

In the second match of the day in the same venue, KCB FC’s custodian, Juma Mpongo, was the hero as he scored a spot kick and saved the deciding kick to lift the bankers past Western Stima 4 – 3 on post-match penalties after the two teams played to a goalless draw in normal time.

-Reporting by Matthews Mutai and Jacob Icia