NAIROBI, Kenya, June 13 – Premier League champions Gor Mahia will battle it out with bitter rivals AFC Leopards in the final of the Betway Cup after both clubs won their respective semi-finals on Sunday.
Coincidentally, both Kenyan football giants reached the final through post-match penalties with Gor Mahia winning 4-2 over fellow Premier League side Bidco United after both teams settled for a 1-1 draw in full time.
On the other hand, AFC Leopards squeezed through following a 6-5 win over third tier side Equity Bank FC after the match ended in a barren draw.
Kenneth Muguna opened the scores for K’Ogalo through his freekick, giving Gor the lead in the 4th minute. Bidco United’s attempts to equalize the scores bore fruits through David Orem’s goal in the 19th minute.
Cliffton Miheso skilled past Bidco’s defense in an attempt to regain the lead for Gor Mahia in the 39th minute, however, missed the target by inches closing the first half scores at 1-1.
After the intermission, Kenneth Muguna almost bagged his brace in the 71st minute but hit the ball right at Bidco United Goalkeeper Omar Adisa’s hands.
Both teams made several attempts to break the stalemate but fell short closing the full-time scores at 1-1. Gor Mahia hit four goals on target in the post-match penalties taking up the win that got them through to the finals.
-AFC Leopards –
Earlier on, in the same venue, AFC Leopards also got into the FKF Betway Cup finals after beating Equity 6-5 in post-match penalties.
In the 16th minute, Bryson Wangui took the freekick for Equity that was however hit over the bar by AFC Leopards Goalkeeper John Oyemba.
The 3oth minute saw AFC Leopards awarded a corner kick that bore no fruit maintaining the scores at 0-0. Three minutes later, AFC Leopards Marvin Omondi was booked after performing a bad tackle on Equity’s Nicholas Odhiambo.
After the breather, Washington Munene tried to convert the freekick for AFC Leopards in the 47th minute but the ball landed right at Equity’s Goalkeeper Timothy Ngugi’s hands.
AFC Leopards’ Austin Odhiambo almost broke the stalemate in the 56th minute but missed the target by inches maintaining the scores at 0-0.
Attempts by both teams to take up the lead fell naught leading to post-match penalties that AFC Leopards won 6-5 against Equity FC.
The FKF Betway Cup finals will stage the ‘Mashemeji’ derby pitting Gor Mahia against AFC Leopards that will be played on Sunday, July 4.