- Harambee Stars defender Collins Sichenje featured for FK Vojvodina in their 1-0 loss to Partizan Belgrade in the Serbian SuperLiga.
- The intense match was played on Saturday, October 4, at the Partizan Stadium.
Kenyan international Collins Sichenje played the full 90 minutes as FK Vojvodina battled bravely but eventually fell 1-0 to Partizan Belgrade in a heated Serbian SuperLiga encounter on Saturday evening.
The tightly contested match at the Partizan Stadium was marked by a first-half penalty, a controversial red card, and a 30-minute delay after crowd trouble, as Vojvodina’s resistance with 10 men came up just short.
Vojvodina began the match positively, threatening early through Nemanja Poletanović, whose free kick in the 14th minute forced Partizan goalkeeper Marko Milošević into a fine save. But just two minutes later, the game turned in the hosts’ favour.
After a VAR review, the referee awarded Partizan a penalty for a foul by Luka Kolarević on Martin Dragojević. Jovan Milošević stepped up and converted confidently from the spot to give Partizan a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute.
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The visitors’ night worsened in the 27th minute when young defender Nikola Tanjga was shown a straight red card for pushing Vukotić from behind as the last man.
Initially, the referee pointed to the spot again, but after consulting Video Assistance Referee, the penalty was downgraded to a free kick though the red card stood, leaving Vojvodina with 10 men for over an hour.
Harambee Stars defender Collins Sichenje leads 10-man FK Vojvodina
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Vojvodina led by the composed Sichenje at the back held firm for long stretches. The Kenyan defender made several key interventions, including timely clearances to deny Trifunović and Sek in the second half.
Partizan continued to press after the break but struggled to break through a disciplined Vojvodina defence marshalled by Sichenje and goalkeeper Emil Rosić, who pulled off a string of saves to keep the visitors in the game.
With around 15 minutes to play, the match was temporarily suspended as flares and objects were thrown onto the pitch by home supporters, forcing both teams to return to the dressing rooms. Play resumed after a half-hour delay, with a remarkable 18 minutes of added time.
In stoppage time, substitute John Mary came close to levelling for Vojvodina, lifting the ball over the onrushing keeper only for Stojković to clear it off the line. Moments later, head coach Miroslav Tanjga was sent off for protesting a refereeing decision from the technical area.
Despite the defeat, Vojvodina earned plaudits for their fighting spirit, especially after being reduced to 10 men so early. Sichenje solid performance at centre-back once again highlighted why he is increasingly regarded as among Kenya’s top defensive exports in European football.
The loss sees Vojvodina remain third on the log and will now look to regroup ahead of their next SuperLiga fixture as they aim to climb up the table after a frustrating night in Belgrade.