AFC Leopards dropped points again when they registered a second straight draw in the Kenyan Premier League at the Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday.
Frustrated all afternoon, the 13-time Kenyan champions battled to a goalless draw with a well-oiled Ulinzi Stars side.
Visiting Sony Sugar stunned Sofapaka 1-0 through Edwin Oduor strike while City Stars chalked up their first win under Nigerian coach Robinson Ndubuisi when they beat Bandari 1-0. Gor Mahia maintained their perfect run in the league, beating Mathare United 1-0 at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos.
Lethal striker Dan Ssserunkuma scored his third goal in four games this season, heading home a cross from Timonah Wanyonyi in the 48th minute to help Gor collect maximum points in the league for the second time in three days. Mathare proved a handful, with Hussein Zzinda proving a menace to Gor’s defence, but there was no stopping K’Ogalo from picking three points in their club’s last game before hosting Tunisian club Esperancein a Caf Champions league match next weekend.
Against Ulinzi, Leopards came close to opening the scores after 15 minutes when Jacob Kelifound the net from the edge of the box but referee David Mulongo ruled him offside. Ulinzi were impressive for spells and threatened Wycliffe Kasaya’s goal in the 38th minute when Elvis Nandwa found Cyrus Shitote’s cross but failed to trouble the custodian.
The soldiers tightly marked talisman Allan Wanga, making sure he got as few opportunities on the ball as possible. Keli and veteran Charles Okwemba rallied to score but Ulinzi proved a hard nut to crack in both halves.
Wanga, however, broke free at the half hour mark but headed Juma Abdalla’s well-executed corner wide. Winger Paul Were later set up Keli but the former KCB man sent the ball way over the bar.The second-half was no different, with Keli and Wanga getting loose balls but both failed to change the scoreline.
Ulinzi’s Allan Abulala, who came in for Enock Mogire, almost broke the deadlock when he raced down the left flank 20 minutes into the second-half, executed a brilliant screamer but Kasaya leaped at full stretch to punch it out for a corner. He returned again a minute afterwards through Salim Mohamed’s free kick but both fumbled in front of goal. Keli then missed a stoppage-time chance after he failed to connectWere’s pass as the game ended 0-0.
Leopards head coach James Nandwa said the result doesn’t tell the full story as he was unable to field all his preferred players.
At Hope Centre, City Stars’ Dennis Ng’ang’a struck the winner from a free-kick in the 72nd minute against Twahir Muhiddin's side.Stars showed more intent in thiscontest with strike partners George Midenyo add Jimmy Bageya full of running. Bageya’s initial effort flew wide just after the 10 minute mark, before the visitors returned the favour moments later with another long range from Kepha Aswani, that also failed to find the target.
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