KPL - KENYAN PREMIER LEAGUE - NEWS

  

Gor Mahia clinches two individual awards in Cecafa

Despite missing out on the top prize after losing 2-0 to Azam FC on Sunday, K'Ogalo players - Michael Olunga and Boniface Oluoch - won top awards

Despite missing out on the top prize, Gor Mahia still won two individual awards in the just concluded Cecafa Kagame Cup in Tanzania.

Gor Mahia went down 2-0 to Tanzanian side Azam in the final played on Sunday. Towering forward Michael Olunga ran away with the golden boot award after scoring five goals while goalkeeper Boniface Oluoch was surprisingly named as goalkeeper of the tournament.

Apart from Olunga other top scorers were: Saleh Eldin Osman Bilal (Khartoum National) and Kipre Chetche (Azam), who scored four goals each. Malimi Busungu (Yanga) and John Bocco (Azam) scored three goals each.

Azam’s Pascal Wawa was named as player of the tournament. He also won the award for defender of the tournament. According to Council for East and Central Africa Football Association (Cecafa) Secretary General Nicholas Musonye, they had a successful tournament and thanked all those, who made it possible.

“We have already begun preparations for the Senior Challenge Cup 2015 and we expect a full turn-out. Zanzibar have in the meantime, put in their bid to host 2016 Cecafa - Kagame Cup. A delegation of Cecafa  will visit Zanzibar in September to lay the framework of the competition,” Musonye told Goal on Monday.

Azam FC 2-0 Gor Mahia: Too near yet soo far for K'Ogalo

Kenyan champions came into the match as favorites after impressive run in the competition but John Bocco and Kipre Tchetche scored for Azam FC

Gor Mahia's 24 match unbeaten run in all competition came to a sorry end on Sunday after they fell 2-0 to Tanzania's Azam in Cecafa final played in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The Kenyan champions came into the match as favorites after impressive run in the competition, but goals from John Bocco and Kipre Tchetche were enough to hand Stewart Hall first title for the club.

Gor Mahia will blame themselves for the first goal as they started in a low fashion as compared to the home team, who had fans cheering the side from kick-off, and the pressure paid off as early as 15th minute when Bocco converted a low cross to hand his side the lead.

K'ogalo were unlucky to escape punishment when Khalid Aucho seemingly elbowed the opponent, but the referee decided to have a word with him when punishment seemed necessary. That however, did not kill the spirit of Azam, who kept the competitions top scorer Michael Olunga at bay, with no space to make things even for the fourteen times Kenyan Premier League champions.

The only realistic chance the Kenyans got was in the 28th minute when Ugandan import Innocent Wafula shot wide from seven yards out. After the break, Azam came looking determined to maintain their record of not conceding in the tournament, as Pascal Wawa stood strong in central defense which further frustrated their opponents.

Frank Nuttall's side looked out of ideas in the back as pressure from Tchetche and Bocco was too hard to handle, and they were lucky not to concede a second in the 50th minute, when the former was gifted a chance but failed to convert.

Aucho finally went into the referee's notebook when he fouled the dangerous Kapombe 25 yards from the goal. Tchetche rose to the occasion and buried the resultant free-kick into Boniface Oluoch's goal to the amazement of the custodian, who assumed the shot was off target.

Dangerman Olunga was sneaked in by Meddie Kagere in the 75th minute, but this time round, the ever clinical lanky striker could not find the net as he shot across the goal. Nothing changed for the Green Army even with the introduction of Ali Abondo and George Odhiambo, as the side could not find way past the opponents defense that has kept a clean sheet in the entire tournament.

AFC Leopards 1-1 Bandari: Ingwe rally to salvage point

Ingwe came from behind to snatch a point from the hard fighting Bandari via Jackson Saleh's header that canceled out Shaban Kenga's opener

AFC Leopards scored a late goal to deny Bandari FC maximum points in a Kenyan Premier League match played at Nyayo Stadium on Monday.

Ingwe scored through captain Jackson Saleh, who cancelled out Shaban Kenga’s opener. Leopards came into the game fresh from a 2-1 defeat in the hands of Sony Sugar same with the Dockers, who needed to bounce back after losing by a solitary goal away to Muhoroni Youth.

It was the match which Zdravko Logarusic once again missed from the touchline as the Croat opted to stay away, protesting unpaid salaries for up to three months, leaving his assistant Yusuf Chippo with the task of leading the team once more.

Ingwe players though seemed set to get a win as they started brightly, but the first chance went to the visitors, as Andrew Waswa played in David King'atua, only for the latter to shoot over the bar in the sixth minute.

Despite looking dangerous every time they had possession, Ingwe looked frustrated with Twahir Muhiddin's defensive tactics. However, they managed to get a free-kick in the 13th minute with Patrick Kagogo unable to find the target.

The visitors were lucky to escape a 26th minute Waiswa blunder, as his poor clearance was picked by Kagogo, who could not capitalize on the chance, as his powerful shot went over the bar to the delight of Muhiddin.

The first half was characterized by half chances which were not well taken by both sides, with King'atua and Alfred Oluoch the victims for the Dockers, and Timona Wanyonyi and Ivan Anguyo guilty for Leopards.

The second half started the way the first started, with Bandari playing cautiously, happy with the proceedings. Leopards somehow managed to create a meaningful chance as Kagogo found his way in the right wing in the 60th to cross the ball for Michael Khamati, who could not connect into an empty net.

Bandari got undeserved lead in the 77th minute as Lukas Indeche tried to clear a Martin Kiiza back pass, only to hit Kenga and roll into the net, with the custodian at fault for his indecisiveness. The goal came as a blow to the home fans, who looked frustrated as chances went begging.

With nothing to lose, Ingwe threw men forward and with three minutes of regular time to play, Wanyonyi brought in a brilliant cross which was nodded in by Jackson Saleh to send the home fans into raptures. The goal brought life to the home team, but they could do nothing against their opponents, who decided to play defensively and walk away with a point.

Premier League

Pos		Team	P	W	D	L	GS	GA	+/-	Pts
1		Gor Mahia	18	14	4	0	37	8	+29	46
2		Ulinzi Stars	21	12	4	5	31	20	+11	40
3		Sofapaka	21	11	6	4	28	24	+4	39
4		Tusker	21	10	5	6	38	19	+19	35
5		Leopards	21	10	5	6	27	18	+9	35
6		Bandari	21	8	6	7	21	18	+3	30
7		Mathare United	21	6	11	4	27	21	+6	29
8		Western Stima	21	8	5	8	19	19	+0	29
9		KRA	20	7	6	7	16	17	-1	27
10		Muhoroni Youth	21	6	8	7	20	28	-8	26
11		Thika United	21	7	4	10	21	31	-10	25
12		SoNy Sugar	20	6	4	10	14	19	-5	22
13		KCB	21	5	5	11	26	31	-5	20
14		Chemelil	21	3	10	8	15	28	-13	19
15		Nairobi City Stars	21	2	8	11	14	27	-13	14
16		Nakuru AllStars	20	1	7	12	18	44	-26	10

Premier League

Sunday, July 26, 2015
15:00	Nakuru AllStars	v	Gor Mahia

Friday, August 7, 2015
17:00	Nairobi City Stars	v	Mathare United
19:15	KRA	v	Sofapaka

Saturday, August 8, 2015
15:00	Muhoroni Youth	v	Thika United
15:00	Nakuru AllStars	v	Leopards

Sunday, August 9, 2015
15:00	Bandari	v	Chemelil
15:00	SoNy Sugar	v	Ulinzi Stars
15:00	Tusker	v	Western Stima

Wednesday, August 12, 2015
15:00	Gor Mahia	v	KRA
15:00	Leopards	v	Ulinzi Stars

Saturday, August 15, 2015
—	KCB	v	Gor Mahia

Wednesday, September 16, 2015
15:00	Gor Mahia	v	SoNy Sugar