Africa-Press – Kenya. Defending champions Tusker consolidated their position atop the Kenyan Premier League log with a hard-fought 1-0 win over KCB at Kasarani Annex stadium on Thursday.
While praising the victory, head coach Robert Matano cautioned his team not to rest on their laurels, even as the league’s momentum begins to peak.
“I’m pleased with our performance today. We know how good KCB are, and scoring the most points against them is no easy task,” Matano stated.
“It would be quite misleading to start talking about defending the title at this stage when the league has just begun. But the goal of every team in this league is to win the championship, and we are no exception.”
Meanwhile, KCB head coach Zedekiah Otieno chastised his players for wasting open goal-scoring chances that cost them the game.
“We need to start making good use of all the chances we create in our matches if we want to charge for the title. After successfully rallying from behind, we had a chance to seal the match, but a lapse in concentration allowed our opponents to add another goal,” Otieno said.
Otieno predicted that his team will bounce back strongly in the next match. “We can’t say we are badly off considering our position in the league standings. We still have an opportunity to redeem ourselves in our subsequent matches,” he added.
The outcome fired the brewers into a two-point lead over second-placed Nzoia Sugar, who defeated Mathare United 1-0 in the other match of the day.
Tusker took the lead in the 34th minute when Saphan Oyugi rose above his markers to head home an enticing John Njuguna corner. Nicholas Kipkurui capitalised on a loose clearance to level the score for the bankers a few seconds to the breather.
The brewers emerged from the tunnel looking thirstier for a victory, and it wasn’t long before their constant inroads into the opponents’ territory bore the desired fruit.
Isaac Kipyegon floated in a free-kick from the left in the 65th minute, finding Ugandan forward Deogratious Ojok strategically placed to nod in Tusker’s second goal.
Elsewhere, Nzoia Sugar beat Mathare United 2-1 at Utalii grounds in Nairobi, moving within two points of league leaders Tusker.
Boniface Kweyu scored from the spot to fire the millers into the lead in the 34th minute after Hassan Beja was sent tumbling down in the area. Joseph Mwangi then came on the end of a sweeping counter-attack to double Nzoia’s advantage with a brilliant 71st-minute effort.
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