NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 4 – Nairobi City Stars’ stuttering start to the season continued after they gave up a one-goal lead at halftime to lose 2-1 to Talanta FC in a FKF Premier League match at the Ruaraka Complex in Nairobi.
Two goals in a space of five minutes from Gerson Likono and Castro Ogendo in the 62nd and 67th minutes were enough to confine Simba wa Nairobi to their third straight defeat following their previous two losses to Bidco United and Tusker FC.
Coach Nicholas Muyoti’s charges started the game on a high, taking the lead in the 2nd minute courtesy of a well-converted penalty kick by veteran Peter ‘Pinchez’ Opiyo.
The Kawangware-based side continued to pile pressure on their guests for a second goal although Dennis Wanjala had to make way for Herit Mungai in the 25th minute following an injury.
However, the tide turned in the second half as Talanta came back a renewed team, ready to pounce on their hosts’ vulnerabilities in the defence.
A seemingly harmless cross from Likono in the 62nd minute bounced off the hands of Elvis Ochoro in City Stars’ goal to level matters for Talanta.
The hosts’ worst fears came to be in the 67th minute when Ogendo was on hand to tap in a second for the visitors.
City Stars pulled out all their arsenal in an effort to get back into the game – Muyoti replacing Opiyo with Clifford Otieno in the 79th minute – but to no avail.
In another match of the day, defending champions Tusker FC continued their bright start to the season with a slim 1-0 win against fellow title contenders, AFC Leopards, at the Moi Stadium, Kasarani.
Eric Mmata was on hand to convert a 67th minute penalty in the evenly-contested match in which both teams had chances to win the game.
Former Harambee Stars goalkeeper Patrick Matasi had to be hawk-eyed against his former employers, reacting brilliantly to palm away a long-range effort from Brian Wanyama.
Ingwe keeper Levis Opiyo had also – in the first half – denied Lawrence Luvanda a clear goalscoring opportunity after the latter connected beautifully with a cross from the left.
Mmata was one of four inspired substitutions made by Matano – the others including David Majak, Shami Kibwana, and Jackson Macharia – to try and get a hold of the game.
It turned out to be a masterstroke as Mmata was hacked down as he drove into the box, with the referee left with no choice but to point at the spot.
With 10 minutes to the end of regular time, Ingwe had a golden chance to equalize when they were awarded a penalty but Ojo Olaniyi’s resultant kick flew over the bar. Elsewhere, at the Mbaraki Stadium in Mombasa, Kenya Commercial Bank recovered from last weekend’s 1-0 loss to Kakamega Homeboyz to defeat Bandari FC 1-0.
John Mwangi’s calmly-slotted shot past Michael Wanyika in the porters’ goal in the first half was all it took to separate the two sides.
The bankers subsequently held on bravely for all the three points.
