Kariobangi Sharks players celebrate Mathew Odongo’s goal against Bandari in a Kenyan Premier League match at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on May 13, 2017
MACHAKOS, Kenya, May 13 – Kariobangi Sharks beat Bandari 1-0 in Machakos to move fourth in the Kenyan Premier League standings as Ulinzi Stars overcame Muhoroni Youth 2-1 in Nakuru to remain third.
In Kisumu, Mathare United let off a 2-1 lead going on to lose 3-2 to struggling Western Stima who were winless in eight matches. The victory lifted Stima off the bottom of the standings.
In Machakos, Sharks picked up their third successive win with Ugandan Mathew Tayo Odongo scoring the lone goal of the match in the first half.
“It is all about self belief and confidence. We have managed to play well and what is seen on match day is as a result of the hard work the players put in during training. It gives us a lot of confidence and I’m happy with the win today,” Kariobangi Sharks head coach William Muluya said after the match.
Bandari, coming at the backdrop of beating Nzoia 2-1 at home in midweek, were left ruing the long travel.
“I’m not complaining about the three games in a week, but how the games have been scheduled. We are travelling a lot, playing in Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa. Those are long distances to travel. Today, the fatigue was visible,” Bandari head coach Paul Nkata said after the match.
It wasn’t a game of many open scoring opportunities and Sharks made the most of the little they got.
Bandari had the first few chances of the game with Tyrone Owino seeing his freekick from the edge of the box well collected by John Oyemba in the Sharks goal.
Ugandan Andrew Waisswa who has been drafted in midfield over the last few games away from his natural defensive position had a deflected shot from distance but Oyemba was once again well positioned to pick up.
Sharks opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with their first shot on target after Odongo dribbled inside the box to shoot low past Bandari keeper Wilson Obungu.
Nkata sought to make changes to his tactics, withdrawing ineffective Owino for Shabaan Kenga. He also pulled back Siraj Mohammed into left back while his son Fred Nkata moved up on the left side of attack.
-Second half-
In the second half, none of the two teams made any meaningful surge to score with the game mostly concentrated in midfield.
The introduction of John Avire for Bandari spiced up things in attack for the visitors, but still they could not find a way to open up the defense.
Towards the end of the game, both teams had good chances with Avire shooting wide for Bandari while on the other end, new man Ovellah Ochieng twice saw his efforts well collected by Obungu.
In Nakuru, Ulinzi won their third match consecutively thanks to two headers from Samuel Onyango and Boniface Onyango.
Samuel, who was returning to the starting team after missing out in midweek, rose home to nod in an Oliver Rutto cross from the left while Onyango powerfully headed home a corner from Daniel Waweru. Muhoroni scored late but it was never enough to salvage a point.
