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Posta Rangers' Joshua Nyatini tackles Tusker FC attacker Henry Mejja. Photo/RAYMOND MAKHAYA

Football

Tusker’s title hunt dented in Posta Rangers defeat

NAIROBI, Kenya, June 15 – Tusker FC’s BetKing Premier League title hunt suffered a massive hit this afternoon after losing 1-0 to Posta Rangers at the Ruaraka Annex.

Substitute Josephat Lopaga scored the winner for Posta in the 79th minute after making the most of a Rodgers Aloro error.

The reality of the loss was a bitter pill to swallow for the brewers as they all slumped to the Ruaraka pitch at the sound of the final whistle, hands to their heads while Aloro, whose blunder led to the goal was inconsolable in tears as he played back the memory of his costly error.

The players hurdled in the pitch, a furious Robert Matano letting his frustrations known as they stared at another lost opportunity to open the gap at the top.

The brewers remain at the apex with 38 points, two ahead of both KCB and AFC Leopards who play on Wednesday. They will be hoping that results go their way and they retain their place on the king’s table.

But the 11-time champions will have no one to blame but themselves for the loss. They had the best chances to score while the mailmen used their best effort, scored and sealed the game in typical Stanley Okumbi fashion.

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Keeper Kevin Opiyo was the difference in most of the opening half. In the seventh minute, he pulled two back to back saves, denying Boniface Muchiri’s shot from inside the box, while also flying to his right to keep away a Humphrey Mieno effort.

In the 19th minute, Tusker came close when Henry Meja raced to the near post to flick on a low cross from Kevin Monyi, but the effort went just wide.

The home side was denied by the bar in the 33rd minute when Aloro’s well struck freekick from distance came off the woodwork while Sammy Meja had another effort off a set piece in the 44th minute fly just wide with the keeper beaten.

In the second half, coach Matano threw his traditional triple sub, skipper Hashim Sempala, Faraj Ominde and Brian Marita coming off injured and in their places, Eric Zakayo, Jackson Macharia and Apollo Otieno all came in.

But it was Posta who were more tactically disciplined as they stuck to their shape while Tusker tried all but in vain to open them up at the back.

And they were punished in the 79th minute when substitute Lopaga pounced on the ball after some poor control from Aloro in a harmless ball sprayed out to him in the middle of the pitch.

Lopaga picked up, bolted upfield and sliced in a low shot to beat Mike Wanjala and break Tusker’s hearts.

The brewers were now playing with more urgency, but typical Okumbi’s tactics denied them as Posta defended with discipline to pick maximum points to push into 13th place.

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