AFC Leopards’ Andrew Tololwa goes up in the air to try head in a corner during their match against Sofapaka at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on April 26, 2017. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
MACHAKOS, Kenya, Apr 26 – AFC Leopards head coach Stewart Hall has slammed the performance of his players after their loss at the hands of Sofapaka on Wednesday evening, saying they didn’t deserve to win and it was their worst game of the season.
It wasn’t the best of matches from either side but Batoto ba Mungu had just enough to get over the line and pick their fourth win of the season.
“We didn’t deserve to win. We didn’t play; no quality, no quality at all in anything we have done today. The passing, the crossing, no quality and you don’t deserve to win a football match playing that way. Training yesterday was excellent yesterday but today we didn’t put the training into the game. That was our worst performance of the season,” a disappointed Hall told Capital Sport after the match.
He added; “I don’t think the ref helped to make the situation better; some of his calls were dubious but that’s football. But you can’t bide on that; the fact is that we just didn’t play well.”
Former Leopard Charles Okwemba scored the lone goal of the match in the second half and by respect to his former employers never celebrated the goal.
It wasn’t a game of chances with the two sides visibly taking to knocking the ball around, none knocking in some pace in attack partly due to fatigue as both were off intense fixtures last weekend.
The only open opportunity in the first half was in the 43rd minute when Moses ‘Dube’ Odhiambo’s shot on the half turn was punched away by Ian Otieno in the AFC Leopards goal.
AFC Leopards’ Gilbert Fiamenyo wheels away from Sofapaka’s Humphrey Okoti during their Kenyan Premier League match at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on April 26, 2017. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
AFC’s Ghanaian forward Gilbert Fiamenyo was well policed by Ugandan defender Jonathan Mugabi who was one of the best performers for Batoto ba Mungu.
On the half hour mark, Sam Ssimbwa, the Sofapaka head coach altered his plans, pulling out Humphrey Okoti for Kennedy Oduor as he looked to get a better defensive partnership. Okoti was at times caught off pace.
Two minutes after the second half started, Okwemba broke the deadlock with a fortunate goal after deflecting off a Moses Odhiambo shot which was headed wide.
In the final 20 minutes of the game, Leopards upped the tempo with Hall pulling out defender Marcus Abwao for Marcelus Ingotsi while Samuel Ndung’u was also introduced for Andrew Tololwa.
However, Sofapaka defended well and despite a few shouts for penalties, they weren’t threatened much.
