- Shabana FC defeated Sofapaka FC 1-0 in the match that was staged at the Dandora Stadium.
- The goal was scored by Ezekiel Omuri in the first half.
Shabana FC squeezed past Sofapaka FC in an entertaining Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) match on Sunday evening at the Dandora Stadium.
The Kisii based club won the match that was played under rainy conditions 1-0 thanks to a lovely finish from Ezekiel Omuri in the 26th minute.
Omuri, who hails from South Mugirango, found himself unmarked in the Sofapaka penalty box then calmly collected the ball before firing it into the left corner.
The goal was celebrated with songs and dances by the Shabana supporters who had turned up in thousands to support their beloved club.
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Before Omuri’s moment of magic, Brian Michira had a chance to open the scoring for the Glamour Boys but his shot did not trouble Sofapaka goalkeeper Evans Omondi.
Similar to Shabana, the hosts also had a couple of chances in the first half but they failed to make it count.
At the start of the second half, Sofapaka FC improved their game and created several goal scoring chances.
The Ezekiel Akwana-coached charges also enjoyed more possession than in the first half, something that forced Shabana to sit back and try to hurt them on the counter.
The best chance of the game for Batoto ba Mungu came in the 70th minute when Edward Omondi penetrated the opponent’s defence and fired a shot that was deflected outside for a corner by Shabana custodian Mulili Maxwel.
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A few minutes later, Michira pounced on a loose ball in the middle of the pitch and went on a brilliant solo run before firing a shot that kissed the goal post and bounced back into play.
Despite numerous attacks from Sofapaka, the decision to sit back and defend their lead paid off for the Glamour Boys in the end.
Speaking after the game, Omuri thanked Shabana’s technical bench for not giving up on him despite registering under par displays in recent matches.
“The game has been a good one. I thank the fans for pushing us. I would also like to thank my coaches for trusting me.
So far it hasn’t been easy because since I came back I haven’t had a good performance, but they encouraged and advised me to be patient,” he stated.
The pacey player ended by urging their fans to continue showing up in large numbers during matches and support the club.
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On the other hand, Sofapaka FC captain Humphrey Mieno cited the failure to convert changes as their main underdoing in the match.
“We are just disappointed that we lost, but all in all, it was a good match. We did not just convert our chances, but we played a good game.
I think we were a bit unlucky not to score at least more than three goals, but it is football, sometimes you don’t convert your chances, that’s what happens.
If you look at the game, we created a lot of chances, more than six chances in a match and don’t even convert one, it is hard, but we take the positives and move on,” he explained.
Shabana jumps to fifth in FKFPL table
The three points increased Shabana’s tally to 27 points, nine less than league leaders Tusker FC, who overcame Ulinzi Stars by a similar margin on Saturday.
Furthermore, it enabled them to jump to position five in the FKFPL standings, leapfrogging Sofapaka and AFC Leopards in the process.
Up next for Shabana is a clash against Posta Rangers that is scheduled to be played on Sunday while Sofapaka will square it out with Bandari FC on Saturday.
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