Narrow defeats for Gor, Leopards dampen Mashemeji derby mood
Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards warmed up for Sunday’s Mashemeji derby in disappointing fashion, by recording losses in their respective SportPesa Premier League games played in Mumias and Machakos on Wednesday.
K’Ogalo, considered champions in waiting with four games remaining till the end of the 2018/2019 league season, were beaten 1-0 by Nzoia Sugar at the Mumias Sports Complex.
STAR PLAYERS
At Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos, Leopards Rwandan coach Andre Casa Mbungo rested a host of his star players namely Paul Were, top-scorer Wyvonne Isuza, David ‘Cheche’ Ochieng and Rwandan Soter Kayumba as his team lost to KCB by a solitary goal.
“We were unlucky and tired today. He (Isuza) was not feeling okay since yesterday and then we have been playing three matches every week for the past three months, I needed to shuffle things a bit and bring in some fresh legs and we almost got a point here,” said Mbungo.
Fresh from winning the perceived title decider against second-placed Sofapaka by two unanswered goals over the weekend, Gor Mahia were undone by a 34th-minute goal scored by Hansel Ochieng.
18TH LEAGUE TITLE
In Machakos, the bankers scored against the run of play as Kennedy Owino created space for himself in the box and slotted the ball past the advancing Leopards goalkeeper for the match winner.
Gor Mahia will clinch a record extending 18th league title with a win against Leopards in a match is slated for Moi International Sports Centre, Nairobi.