LeonLevitt Otieno was the standout player of the day, contributing three assists for Kariobangi Sharks as they triumphed 3-1 over Mathare United in a thrilling comeback, ending their 11-match winless streak on Saturday afternoon in Week 24 of the 24/25 FKFPL at the Dandora stadium.
Mathare took the lead early in the 5th minute when Elli Asieche converted a penalty. However, Steve Bwire quickly equalized for Sharks before center referee David Oyoo awarded them a penalty, which Ghai Panchol calmly converted.
The Sharks were not finished yet, as Humphrey Aroko, coming off the bench, scored the third and decisive goal to seal the victory.
This win marked a crucial turning point for Sharks, who had not tasted victory since December last year when they defeated Posta Rangers 1-0.
With this three-point in hand, they moved away from the relegation zone and now sit in 12th place on the table with 27 points, level with Mathare, but with a superior goal difference despite both teams being in the negative.
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Muluya attributes Sharks win to divine intervention
Sharks’ head coach, William Muluya, expressed his gratitude for the win, attributing it to divine intervention.
“Let me also today say, ‘Mungu ni msoo’, God is great. I want to thank Him because it has been 11 matches without a win. When you see in the match, Mathare were the first to take the lead through a penalty, and we were also awarded ours.
It’s God who made this comeback possible. We had prayed; the Muslims are fasting for us, and we supported them during their fast. This is God’s victory,” Muluya told Azam TV after the match.
In Dandora, Muluya was forced to make an early change when Izak Otieno suffered an injury just three minutes into the game, prompting his substitution for Andreas Odhiambo.
Five minutes in, Mathare were awarded a penalty after Biko Omollo fouled John Nyawir, and captain Elli Asieche stepped up to give the visitors the lead with a superb strike, scoring against his former employers.
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Sharks had a chance to equalize soon after through a counter-attack by Steve Bwire, but Mathare goalkeeper Michael Wanyika was equal to the task.
On the counter, Mathare’s Paul Kinyanjui had a chance to extend the lead, but his shot went wide.
It took Sharks 17 minutes to level the game. Bwire capitalized on a rebound following a pass from LeonLevitt Otieno, which Wanyika punched out, only for the ball to deflect to Bwire, who wasted no time in finding the back of the net.
In an interesting moment, Wanyika conceded a penalty to the hosts after a foul in the box.
Ghai Panchol stepped up to convert it in the 30th minute, handing Sharks the lead, with Otieno contributing again, this time winning the penalty.
Mathare coach John Kamau made a tactical change in the 40th minute, introducing Sammy Imbuye for Starlon Odhiambo to bolster their right wing.
However, the adjustments had little impact in the remaining minutes, and Sharks went into the break with a 2-1 advantage.
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The second half saw more balanced chances, though Victor Ngume missed a clear opportunity to increase Sharks’ lead with a header that went off target.
Mathare made two more substitutions, with Musa Masika replacing Elli Asieche and Derrick Anami coming on for Fidel Otieno.
Despite the changes, Mathare failed to capitalize, and in the 75th minute, Sharks’ defense cleared a close-range header from Mathare that nearly leveled the match.
With just a minute left in regular time, Humphrey Aroko sealed the victory for Sharks with a sensational strike from outside the penalty box, securing their third goal and a commanding lead.
Despite further substitutions and attempts from John Kamau’s side, Mathare could not find the equalizer.
As the final whistle blew, Sharks took all three points, ending their 11-match winless run and snapping Mathare’s four-match winning streak.