- AFC Leopards edge Kakamega Homeboyz 1-2 to move within one point of leaders Gor Mahia in the SportPesa League title race.
- The Round 32 fixture was staged at Mumias Sports Complex on Saturday, May 16.
- Emmanuel Lwangu and Samwel Semo scored the decisive goals in the first half as Boniface Nyabuto scored Homeboyz solo goal in the stoppage time.
AFC Leopards edged Kakamega Homeboyz 1-2 on Saturday afternoon at the Mumias Sports Complex, narrowing the gap to just one point in the SportPesa League title race against leaders Gor Mahia and cranking up the tension with two matches remaining.
Fred Ambani’s side knew that slipping up on Saturday would have handed their arch-rivals K’Ogalo a golden chance to seal the championship on Sunday, provided they got past Murang’a SEAL at the Nyayo National Stadium.
But thanks to Emmanuel Lwangu, who bagged back-to-back strikes after also finding the net in their win over Ulinzi Stars, while Samwel Semo came off the bench to ensure those two first-half goals propelled them to 64 points, just one behind Gor’s 65.
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For Homeboyz, despite coming out blazing in the second half and being denied several clear-cut chances by Humphrey Katasi, their lone late strike from Boniface Nyabuto was merely a consolation.
They suffered their third straight loss and extended their winless run to six matches, missing out on a chance to fight for a top-three or fourth-place spot.
AFC Leopards edge Kakamega Homeboyz 1-2
After 20 minutes of both teams trading blows with fairly toothless attacking efforts, it was Ingwe on the road who drew first blood.
They turned a corner kick into a lead goal through Lwangu, who calmly finished a well-delivered volleyed cross from James Kinyanjui to score his second in a row and hand his team the advantage.
Just five minutes past the half-hour mark, Ingwe were forced into an early injury substitution after Vincent Mahiga suffered a head injury, with Semo stepping in for him.
The contest remained calm, with both outfits displaying solid defending. Homeboyz goalkeeper Brian Odhiambo denied Victor Omune a chance to double Ingwe’s lead with a fine save after Omune had unleashed a shot from outside the box.
But that change by Ambani would pay off in first-half stoppage time (45+3).
After crafting a slick attack down the left wing, Kinyanjui fed Tyson Otieno, who managed to chip a cross into the box where Semo made a clever run, controlled the ball with his right foot, then fired a low, crispy shot with his weaker left foot to hand Ingwe a two-goal cushion before the break.
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The second half kicked off with Abana Abeingo dominating the opening 15 minutes.
Just before the hour mark, they came agonizingly close to find the net after carving out a chance on the right winhg through Peter Thiong’o, who delivered a low cross that saw Oliver Machaka cut back to Rodgers Ouma whose shot was well parried by Katasi to keep Ingwe in the game.
Homeboyz ruled the second half and managed to carve out several chances but just could not catch a break.
Their fortune arrived late through a set-piece free kick from Estone Esiye, who picked out Boniface Nyabuto inside the box. Nyabuto coolly placed the ball into the corner for the consolation goal.
Now Ingwe will be eyeing the title race against Gor Mahia on Sunday when their rivals face MSEAL.
They will be praying for a Gor slip-up while hoping to win their own remaining two fixtures, needing just a single draw from Gor to snatch the crown.
Kakamega Homeboyz vs AFC Leopards – SportPesa League Round 32 lineups
- Kakamega Homeboyz: Brian Odhiambo, John Omondi, Boniface Omondi, Portipher Odhiambo, Estone Esiye, Shafiq Batambuze, Glen Masava, Moses Mudavadi, Oliver Machaka, Peter Thiong’o, Rodgers Ouma.
- AFC Leopards: Humphrey Katasi, Brian Nyongesa, Vincent Mahiga (Samwel Semo), Kayci Odhiambo, Emmanuel Lwangu, Musa Oundo, Hassan Beja, Kelly Madada, Victor Omune, Tyson Otieno, James Kinyanjui.