NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 29 – Skipper Kenneth Muguna scored a second half winner as Defending champions Gor Mahia beat Sofapaka 2-1 in Kisumu on Wednesday evening to move to the summit of the Kenyan premier League standings.
Lawrence Juma gave the holders a 12th minute lead before Batoto ba Mungu drew level six minutes later through Ghanaian import Jaden Nana. Muguna headed home the winner in the 63rd minute.
The victory sees Gor scale to 41 points with one match at hand.
Meanwhile in the other midweek tie, Mathare United played to a 2-2 draw with Zoo Kericho to pick only their second point in six matches.
Playing their first of two games at hand, Gor had to ensure they pick maximum points to move top and they got the start they needed when Juma broke the deadlock 12 minutes into the tie with a neat finish off Boniface Omondi’s cross.
Batoto ba Mungu who have beaten Gor only three times since 2009 fought back and were on level terms six minutes later when their Ghanaian import reacted quickest after David Mapigano had spilled a shot from Kepha Aswani before tapping the ball home.
Sofapaka should have been 2-1 up by the half hour mark but Nana missed a complete sitter with just the keeper to beat, placing his shot wide.
Three minutes later, Titus Achesa made a run down the left before setting up Thomas Wainaiana, but the latter’s effort was turned behind for a corner by Mapigano.
Six minutes after the restart, Sofapaka had an even better chance when Wainaina’s tap from a Nana cross beat Mapigano in Gor’s goal, but defender Charles Momanyi raced back to clear off the line.
For that glaring miss, Sofapaka were punished when Muguna headed home a cross from substitute Samuel Onyango in the 62nd minute.
In Kericho, Collins Neto scored the equalizer in the 70th minute as hosts Zoo twice came from behind to salvage a point for the side which has now gone for six matches without victory.
Daniel Lual broke the deadlock with his first ever goal for Mathare before Wilson Anekeya who joined Zoo from mathare drew his side level. Seven minutes from the restart though, James Kinyanjui put Mathare back ahead, but they couldn’t hold on.