Mathare United head coach John Kamau was left ruing missed opportunities after his side was held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Bidco United in a SportPesa League encounter played at Kasarani Stadium.
Despite dominating large spells of the contest and carving out the clearer chances, the Slum Boys failed to turn their superiority into goals and had to settle for a point.
The match lived up to its cagey billing, with both teams showing tactical discipline and defensive solidity.
However, it was Mathare United who looked the more adventurous side, especially in the opening half.
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Mathare United boss decries missed chances
John Kamau’s men controlled possession, moved the ball with purpose through midfield and repeatedly tested Bidco United’s defensive shape.
Both goalkeepers were kept busy, with Bidco United custodian Issa Emuria and Mathare United’s Kevin Ouru producing a series of impressive saves to keep their respective clean sheets intact.
Emuria, in particular, was outstanding in the first half, denying Mathare on multiple occasions when the defence in front of him was breached.
Speaking after the match, Kamau felt his side should have wrapped up the contest before the break.
“We had clear opportunities to finish the game. To be fair, we lost two points because the match should have been decided in the first half,” said Kamau.
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“In the second half, our opponents came back very strongly, but in the first half we created enough scoring chances to win the game.”
The Mathare coach pointed to one moment that summed up his team’s afternoon in front of goal.
“There was a cross into the box that my striker headed straight into the goalkeeper’s hands. The goalkeeper was already moving across goal, and with better direction, that should have been a goal.
The disappointing part is that we are working so hard, really working so much, but the results are not reflecting that effort,” he pointed out.
Mathare United have established themselves as one of the most creative sides in the league this season, but their lack of cutting edge in the final third has been a recurring concern.
Their captain, Elli Asieche who is not an outright striker currently leads the club’s scoring charts with four goals.
That tally is among the highest in the SportPesa League but also highlights a worrying statistic as Asieche’s goals account for half of Mathare United’s total goals after 13 matches.
Kamau believes the situation could have been different had the club managed to reinforce earlier.
“At the start of the season, we had identified players who could have helped solve the problem we are experiencing, but unfortunately we were not in a position to get them,” he explained.
With fewer than three matches remaining before the mid-season transfer window opens, the Mathare tactician is hopeful that reinforcements will arrive to boost his side’s attacking threat.
“We will manage the remaining two to three matches and then wait for the mid-season transfer window to see whether we can bring in quality in the frontline,” Kamau concluded.
For now, Mathare United will take encouragement from their overall performance, but unless their finishing improves, dominant displays may continue to yield frustrating results.