Leopards coach throws down the gauntlet

AFC Leopards coach Jan Koops hinted that it will take more than a fight from their league rivals to dislodge his team from the top of the Kenyan Premier League table.

“It is nice to be back on top of the standings.We intend to stay there”, Koops said after the match on Friday night the Nyayo National Stadium.

The win, a third straight 1-0 victory, lifted Ingwe to 37 points, one more than reigning champions Tusker.

Sofapaka are third on 33 points. City Stars however felt hard done by a poor call from the center referee, James Kagera, who wrongly adjudged skipper, John Amboko, to have handled Paul Were’s cross inside the box in the 21st minute.

Play was held up for a moment as City Stars players remonstrated with the match officials. However, Kagera stood his ground and Barasa stepped up to calmly slot the ball home with Ronny Kagunzi rooted to the spot between the sticks.

Leopards nearly grabbed a second goal in the 32nd minute when Barasa failed to make contact with a neat delivery from Were.

Former Gor Mahia player, Duncan Owiti, also came close to scoring the equalizer for City Stars in the 62th minute but his shot landed into the waiting hands of Barnabas Tiema. 

Things came to a head mid way through the second half when Stars coach Gideon Ochieng was red-carded for his incessant arguments with the match officials from the touchline.

“We were tactically better than Leopards, but our efforts were frustrated by the referee”, a livid Ochieng said after the match. City Stars, remain 10th on the table with 21 points.

Ulinzi Stars 1 Western Stima 0

In saturday’s only match, 2010 league champions Ulinzi Stars beat Western Stima 1-0 at Nakuru’s Afraha Stadium to move third on the log.

Evans Amuoka, latched onto Kevin Amwayi’s through ball to score the all-important goal with barely two minutes on the clock.

The military side dominated play for prolonged periods in the first half before Stima took charge of the proceedings in the second half.

Stima created a golden chance at the half hour mark with Fred Nyarombo laying a cross to Wesley Kemboi who fluffed his effort. Kemboi was guilty of another wasted chance in the 54th minute when he nodded the ball over the crossbar from close range.

“I am very happy with the way we played today. What is important for the team is to maintain the momentum and keep winning”, Ulinzi coach Sammy Simiyu said.

Nesta Kizito

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