- Shabana FC defeated FC Talanta 2-4 to surge into fourth place on the table on Sunday, April 20, at Dandora Stadium.
- Brian Michira and Austin Odongo each netted a brace for Shabana, while Cyprian Mang’eni and Hassan Mohamed were on target for Talanta.
- FC Talanta now sit in 16th place with 26 points, just two spots above bottom-placed City Stars.
Brian Michira and Austin Odongo both struck twice as Shabana surged to fourth place in the FKFPL 2024/25 standings, overpowering FC Talanta 2-4 on Sunday afternoon at the Dandora Stadium.
For Talanta, now hovering just two spots above the relegation zone, goals from Cyprian Mang’eni and super-sub Hassan Mohamed proved insufficient to salvage a point or alter the outcome.
Their 13t h defeat of the season was compounded by costly individual errors, leaving them to rue missed opportunities.
The match began cautiously, with both teams probing for early weaknesses.
Shabana nearly broke the deadlock in the eighth minute through forward Darius Msagha, whose powerful left-footed strike was expertly parried by goalkeeper Mustapha Odour.
The breakthrough came in the 24th minute when Austin Odongo pounced on a defensive blunder.
A poor back pass from Clinton Machaka to Odour was mishandled, allowing Odongo to steal the ball and calmly slot home his fifth goal of the season, handing Shabana a deserved lead.
Just eight minutes later, Shabana doubled their advantage from the penalty spot.
Brian Michira was brought down in the box by Kevin Owino, prompting the referee to award a spot-kick for a reckless challenge. Michira converted with confidence, extending Shabana’s lead.
Talanta responded just before the break. A well-delivered corner kick by Iterit Atariza found Cyprian Mang’eni, who powered in a header to reduce the deficit.
Despite two more promising chances from Msagha, Talanta weathered the storm as the first half ended 1-2 in Shabana’s favor.
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The second half opened with a promising free kick from Talanta that rattled the crossbar but failed to alter the scoreline.
In the 61st minute, Shabana punished another defensive lapse. Odongo, who had opened the scoring, embarked on a brilliant solo run and rifled the ball past Odour to complete his brace.
In an attempt to shift momentum, Talanta manager Jackson Gatheru made two changes—introducing Stewart Omondi for Immanuel Osoro and Hassan Mohamed for Machaka.
The tactical tweak paid dividends within six minutes, as Mohamed latched onto a sensational free-kick delivery from Atariza to score Talanta’s second.
However, any hopes of a comeback were swiftly extinguished.
Shabana netted their fourth through Brian Michira after a swift counterattack initiated by Kevin Omondi, who capitalized on a slip by the recently introduced Stewart.
Omondi squared it to Michira, who buried his second of the day and 11th of the season.
Shabana maintained control in the closing minutes, confidently preserving their lead to secure all three points on the road.
The win propelled them into fourth place, while FC Talanta remain entrenched near the relegation zone.