• Leopards caged as Tusker inch closer to the top

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  • Tusker's Joseph Shikokoti head's the ball during their match against Rangers in their 4-2 win in their KPL match at the Nyayo National Stadium.(Photo by Shutterspeed)Tusker's Joseph Shikokoti head's the ball during their match against Rangers in their 4-2 win in their KPL match at the Nyayo National Stadium.(Photo by Shutterspeed)
May 05, 2012-

Kenyan Premier League leaders AFC Leopards received a major reality check when they suffered a humbling 0-3 defeat at the hands of erstwhile bottom side Nairobi City Stars to cede massive grounds to reigning champions Tusker in the title race.

Nairobi City Stars 3 AFC Leopards 0

City Stars pulled off what many considered a ‘mission impossible’ – comprehensive 3-0 thrashing of Leopards that hoisted from the relegation zone and at the same time extending Ingwe’s winless run to three matches.

After a barren first half, City Stars struck three quick fire goals that knocked the wind off Leopards sails before a stunned crowd at the Nyayo National Stadium.

City Stars Ugandan import Dan Sserenkuma was the Ingwe’s chief destroyer, grabbing a second half brace that was sandwiched Boniface Onyango’s strike.

Sserenkum delivered the first blow in the 56th minute getting to the end of Peter Akango’s free kick for the match opener.

Seven minutes later, Onyango doubled City Stars lead running to Francis Thairu’s through pass to lash an unstoppable shot past a stranded Patrick Matasi between the sticks. But City Stars were not yet done with Leopards.

Sserunkuma delivered a delightful chip over the advancing Matasi in the 70th minute to hammer the final nail on Leopards’ coffin.

Eric Masika’s withdrawal with a hamstring injury early on in the game exposed Ingwe's soft underbelly even with Charles Okwemba and Martin Imbalambala deployed at the back. Upfront, Mike Baraza and Allan Wanga were colourless and had to be replaced with Laurent Tumba and Augustine Etemesi.

However, neither failed to inspire Leopards. The bitter loss comes in the backdrop of leadership wrangles that have lately rocked the Leopards’ den.

Leopards are without a win in their last three matches following a 2-0 loss to Tusker a fortnight ago and last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Karuturi Sports in Naivasha.

Leopards’ coach Jan Koop s blamed the loss on lack of fighting spirit by his charges and Masika’s injury. “Masika's injury greatly affected our defensive formation. Losing is part of the game, but we will bounce back” he said.

"But don't think we are down we will be back!"

Meanwhile, with the win City Stars have moved to 11 points, leapfrogging Rangers and Oserian who occupy the bottom slots.

Tusker 4 Rangers 2

Earlier at the same venue, reigning champions Tusker made light work of Rangers 4-2 to move within two points of Leopards at the top of the table.

Jerry Santos grabbed a brace either side of the break with Jockins Atudo scoring from the spot to add on to Edward Kauka’s own-goal.

Rangers replied through Charles Pilipili’s 18th minute strike and Japhary Oyando’s goal in the 73rd minute. Rangers’ efforts proved too little too late with the brewers holding on for a big win.

Rangers skipper Pascal Ochieng blamed the loss on the referee for awarding Tusker an ‘Illegitimate’ penalty. But Tusker coach Sammy Omollo praised his players for working hard to ensure they bagged all three points.

''Hardwork won the game for us today. We did not kept our cool even in the face of pressure from our opponents”, Omollo said. Tusker moved one place to second on the table with 25 points, while Leopards stay on top of the pile with 27 points from thirteen matches.

 

Nesta Kizito

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  •   Teams P W D L GF GA GD Pts
    1 Sofapaka 14 9 2 3 17 8 9 29
    2 Tusker 14 8 4 2 20 9 11 28
    3 AFC Leopards 13 8 3 2 21 12 9 27
    4 Thika United 14 7 5 2 18 9 9 26
    5 Western Stima 14 6 3 5 14 10 4 21
    6 Karuturi Sports 14 5 6 3 12 9 3 21
    7 Chemelil Sugar 14 6 3 5 8 8 0 21
    8 Gor Mahia 14 5 4 5 11 11 0 19
    9 KCB 14 5 3 6 18 15 3 18
    10 Ulinzi Stars 13 5 3 5 16 17 -1 18
    11 Muhoroni Youth 14 4 3 7 9 13 -4 15
    12 City Stars 14 3 5 6 9 14 -5 14
    13 SonySugar 13 3 3 7 11 14 -3 12
    14 Mathare United 14 2 5 7 12 20 -8 11
    15 Rangers 13 1 7 5 12 26 -14 10
    16 Oserian 14 2 3 9 6 19 -13 9
    Date  Time  Teams  Stadium
    WED 16-05-12 15:00  Gor Mahia vs Western Stima City
    WED 16-05-12 19:00  Sofapaka vs AFC Leopards Nyayo
    FRI 18-05-12 15:00  Ulinzi Stars vs Muhoroni Youth  
    SAT 19-05-12 15:00  SonySugar vs KCB Gusii
    SAT 19-05-12 15:00  Ulinzi Stars vs Muhoroni Youth Afraha
    SAT 19-05-12 15:00  Mathare United vs Karuturi Sports City
    SUN 20-05-12 14:00  City Stars vs Thika United City
    SUN 20-05-12 15:00  Chemelil Sugar vs Rangers Chemelil
    SUN 20-05-12 15:00  Oserian vs Tusker Oserian
    SUN 20-05-12 16:00  Mathare United vs Karuturi Sports City
    Date  Home TeamResult  Away Team  Stadium
    MON 14-05-12  Rangers 0 – 3  Ulinzi Stars Nyayo
    SUN 13-05-12  Karuturi Sports 1 – 0  Oserian Karuturi
    SUN 13-05-12  Thika United 2 – 1  Mathare United Thika
    SAT 12-05-12  KCB 2 – 3  Gor Mahia City
    SAT 12-05-12  Western Stima 0 – 1  City Stars Bukhungu
    SAT 12-05-12  Muhoroni Youth 0 – 2  Sofapaka Muhoroni
    FRI 11-05-12  Tusker 2 – 0  Chemelil Sugar Nyayo
    MON 07-05-12  Sofapaka 2 – 0  Mathare United Nyayo
    SUN 06-05-12  Gor Mahia 1 – 0  Chemelil Sugar City
    SUN 06-05-12  Oserian 0 – 1  Thika United Oserian
    SUN 06-05-12  SonySugar 0 – 0  Karuturi Sports Gusii
    SUN 06-05-12  Western Stima 1 – 0  Ulinzi Stars Bukhungu
    SAT 05-05-12  City Stars 3 – 0  AFC Leopards Nyayo
    SAT 05-05-12  Muhoroni Youth 1 – 2  KCB Muhoroni
    SAT 05-05-12  Rangers 2 – 4  Tusker Nyayo
    MON 30-04-12  Tusker 0 – 1  Sofapaka Nyayo
    SUN 29-04-12  Mathare United 1 – 1  Rangers Nyayo
    SUN 29-04-12  Chemelil Sugar 0 – 1  Western Stima Chemelil
    SUN 29-04-12  Karuturi Sports 1 – 1  AFC Leopards Karuturi
    SUN 29-04-12  KCB 3 – 0  Oserian Nyayo
    SAT 28-04-12  Gor Mahia 2 – 1  City Stars City
    SAT 28-04-12  Thika United 1 – 0  Muhoroni Youth Thika
    SAT 28-04-12  Ulinzi Stars 2 – 1  SonySugar Afraha
    WED 25-04-12  Rangers 0 – 0  KCB City
    SUN 22-04-12  Sofapaka 0 – 1  Thika United Nyayo
    SUN 22-04-12  City Stars 0 – 0  Chemelil Sugar Hope Centre
    SAT 21-04-12  AFC Leopards 0 – 2  Tusker  
    SAT 21-04-12  Mathare United 0 – 0  Western Stima City
    SAT 21-04-12  Oserian 0 – 0  Muhoroni Youth Oserian
    SAT 21-04-12  SonySugar 3 – 1  Rangers Gusii
    SAT 21-04-12  Ulinzi Stars 1 – 0  Gor Mahia Afraha
    SAT 21-04-12  KCB 1 – 2  Karuturi Sports City
    SUN 15-04-12  Tusker 2 – 2  Mathare United Kasarani
    SUN 15-04-12  Chemelil Sugar 1 – 0  KCB Chemelil
    SUN 15-04-12  Gor Mahia 1 – 0  Sofapaka City
    SUN 15-04-12  City Stars 0 – 0  Ulinzi Stars Nyayo
    SAT 14-04-12  Muhoroni Youth 1 – 0  SonySugar Muhoroni
    SAT 14-04-12  Rangers 0 – 0  Karuturi Sports City
    SAT 14-04-12  Thika United 1 – 2  AFC Leopards Thika
    SAT 14-04-12  Western Stima 3 – 0  Oserian Bukhungu
    SUN 08-04-12  AFC Leopards 6 – 2  Rangers Mumias
    SUN 08-04-12  Oserian 1 – 0  Gor Mahia Afraha
    SUN 08-04-12  SonySugar 0 – 1  Tusker Gusii
    SUN 08-04-12  Thika United 1 – 1  KCB Thika
    SAT 07-04-12  Sofapaka 2 – 0  City Stars Nyayo
    SAT 07-04-12  Karuturi Sports 1 – 0  Western Stima Karuturi
    SAT 07-04-12  Mathare United 2 – 1  Muhoroni Youth Nyayo
    SAT 07-04-12  Ulinzi Stars 2 – 1  Chemelil Sugar Afraha
    WED 04-04-12  Gor Mahia 1 – 1  Mathare United City
    SUN 01-04-12  City Stars 1 – 0  Oserian Hope Centre
    SUN 01-04-12  Muhoroni Youth 0 – 0  Rangers Muhoroni
    SUN 01-04-12  Ulinzi Stars 0 – 2  Tusker Afraha
    SAT 31-03-12  Chemelil Sugar 1 – 0  Sofapaka Chemelil
    SAT 31-03-12  Karuturi Sports 0 – 1  Thika United Karuturi
    SAT 31-03-12  Western Stima 2 – 1  SonySugar Bukhungu
    WED 28-03-12  KCB 1 – 2  AFC Leopards Nyayo
    MON 26-03-12  Sofapaka 3 – 2  Ulinzi Stars Nyayo
    SUN 25-03-12  Oserian 0 – 1  Chemelil Sugar Oserian
    SUN 25-03-12  Rangers 0 – 6  Thika United City
    SUN 25-03-12  SonySugar 0 – 0  Gor Mahia Afraha
    SAT 24-03-12  Mathare United 1 – 0  City Stars Nyayo
    SAT 24-03-12  AFC Leopards 2 – 1  Western Stima Mumias
    SAT 24-03-12  Muhoroni Youth 2 – 1  Karuturi Sports Muhoroni
    SAT 24-03-12  Tusker 0 – 0  KCB Nyayo
    WED 21-03-12  Gor Mahia 1 – 1  Rangers Nyayo
    SUN 18-03-12  Gor Mahia 0 – 0  AFC Leopards Nyayo
    SUN 18-03-12  Thika United 1 – 0  SonySugar Thika
    SUN 18-03-12  Western Stima 1 – 2  Sofapaka Bukhungu
    SAT 17-03-12  Chemelil Sugar 1 – 0  Mathare United Chemelil
    SAT 17-03-12  City Stars 1 – 2  Muhoroni Youth Hope Centre
    SAT 17-03-12  Tusker 2 – 2  Karuturi Sports Nyayo
    SAT 17-03-12  Ulinzi Stars 2 – 0  Oserian Afraha
    WED 14-03-12  Tusker 2 – 0  Gor Mahia Nyayo
    WED 14-03-12  Rangers 2 – 1  Western Stima City
    MON 12-03-12  Mathare United 2 – 2  Ulinzi Stars Nyayo
    SUN 11-03-12  AFC Leopards 2 – 1  Muhoroni Youth Nyayo
    SUN 11-03-12  Karuturi Sports 2 – 0  Chemelil Sugar Karuturi
    SUN 11-03-12  KCB 0 – 2  Western Stima City
    SUN 11-03-12  Thika United 0 – 0  Tusker Thika
    SAT 10-03-12  Oserian 0 – 0  Sofapaka Oserian
    SAT 10-03-12  SonySugar 1 – 1  City Stars Gusii
    THU 08-03-12  Muhoroni Youth 0 – 1  Tusker Muhoroni
    WED 07-03-12  Mathare United 0 – 1  KCB Nyayo
    MON 05-03-12  Sofapaka 2 – 1  Rangers Nyayo
    SUN 04-03-12  Karuturi Sports 1 – 0  Gor Mahia Karuturi
    SUN 04-03-12  Ulinzi Stars 0 – 2  AFC Leopards Afraha
    SAT 03-03-12  Chemelil Sugar 2 – 0  SonySugar Chemelil
    SAT 03-03-12  Oserian 2 – 1  Mathare United Oserian
    SAT 03-03-12  Western Stima 1 – 1  Thika United Bukhungu
    FRI 02-03-12  KCB 4 – 0  City Stars City
    SUN 26-02-12  Muhoroni Youth 0 – 1  Chemelil Sugar Muhoroni
    SAT 25-02-12  AFC Leopards 2 – 0  Oserian Nyayo
    SAT 25-02-12  City Stars 0 – 0  Karuturi Sports Nyayo
    SAT 25-02-12  SonySugar 0 – 1  Sofapaka Gusii
    SAT 25-02-12  Thika United 2 – 2  Ulinzi Stars Thika
    WED 22-02-12  Gor Mahia 0 – 1  Muhoroni Youth Nyayo
    WED 22-02-12  Western Stima 1 – 0  Tusker Bukhungu
    SUN 19-02-12  Mathare United 0 – 2  AFC Leopards Nyayo
    SUN 19-02-12  Chemelil Sugar 0 – 0  Thika United Thika
    SUN 19-02-12  City Stars 0 – 0  Rangers Hope Centre
    Picture of The WeekGor Mahia Rama Salim celebrates his second goal with fans.