After going five league matches without a win, AFC Leopards finally turned things around on Sunday evening, defeating Kenya Police FC 1-0 at the Dandora Stadium.
Defender Kennedy Owino was the hero for Ingwe after reacting quickly to dispatch a rebound from a freekick in the 76th minute.
The victory marked a fresh start 12-time top-flight champions under the interim leadership of Fred Ambani who orchestrated the club’s rise to 7th place on the log where they lie with 14 points from 10 matches.
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Meanwhile, there seems to be end to Kenya Police FC’s woes as their new head coach, the Burundian Etienne Ndayiragije, started his tenure with a loss that leaves the 2024 FKF Cup champions at the bottom of the 18-team league with eight points from as many matches.
Fred Ambani acknowledged the challenges of the match, despite Police’s poor form. He emphasized the importance of mentally preparing his players for the game.
“Going five matches without a win is never easy,” Ambani said after the match. “We had to change the players’ mentality and instill a winning mindset. Playing against Police is always a big match, regardless of their current position.”
Etienne Ndayiragije stated that the match was fairly contested, with both teams creating chances. However, only Ingwe managed to capitalize on the one they had.
“The game was balanced. We created chances but lost, while AFC Leopards took theirs and scored. The goal came from a lack of organization and concentration, and the players lacked confidence,” he said.
AFC Leopards started strongly and almost took the lead in the second minute through Victor Omune. Ochieng Ovella had sent a brilliant cross into the box but Police cleared the ball before it reached Omune.
A minute later, Bonface Munyendo tested Police goalkeeper Job Ochieng but the former Mathare United shotstopper was equal to the task.
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The match was briefly interrupted in the 11th minute when teargas was fired outside the stadium, causing a five-minute delay.
Once play resumed, Police made a serious attempt to take the lead in the 19th minute but Eric Zakayo headed wide from a free kick taken by Kenneth Muguna.
On the other end of the pitch, AFC Leopards continued ruing misses chances as Musa Oundo’s 23rd-minute shot from outside the box failed to find the net, and Victor Omune narrowly failed to connect with Randy Bakari’s throughpass in the 30th minute.
As the first half neared its conclusion, Bonface Munyendo had one more chance to put AFC in the lead in the 44th minute, but his shot went wide.
The second half began with David Simiyu coming close to scoring for Police, but his effort narrowly missed the target.
In the 59th minute, Police made substitutions, bringing on experienced players Jesse Were and Clinton Kinanga to inject some fresh energy into their attack but their impact was not immediately felt as AFC Leopards continued to dominate proceedings.
AFC Leopards made their own substitutions in the 67th minute as Ambani introduced Clifton Miheso and Kelly Madada who replaced Victor Otieno and Victor Omune respectively.
Madada’s arrival heralded the moment that was to change the game as he won a freekick in the 70th minute but it was cleared by Kenya Police FC.
However, when AFC Leopards was awarded another freekick in the 75th minute following a foul on Victor Omune, Ingwe managed to make the most of it.
Ovella’s freekick deflected off the goalpost, but Kennedy Owino reacted quickly to score the only goal of the match in the 76th minute.
With Ingwe in the lead, they focused more on defending than attacking, while Police FC pushed for an equalizer. However, the host’s defense remained intact.
In the 85th minute, Lokale had the best chance to double the lead for AFC Leopards, but his shot went narrowly over the bar.
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The match did not witness any meaningful chances after that and at the fulltime whistle, AFC Leopards celebrated a deserved victory as Police FC were left to look ahead to their next challenge against Nairobi City Stars on Wednesday when they can redeem themselves.
