NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 25 – Gor Mahia clinched a record 17th Kenyan Premier League title on Saturday afternoon after beating their arch rivals AFC Leopards 2-0 in a trouble ridden Mashemeji Derby at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani.

K’Ogalo defended the title with six matches to spare.

With focus fixed on their CAF Confederations Cup tie against USM Alger in Algeria on Wednesday, Gor head coach Dylan Kerr fielded a second string team, the same that thrashed Sofapaka 3-0 in midweek and they did not disappoint.

In an eventful match, the game had to be stopped for nine minutes after a section of AFC Leopards supporters started throwing projectiles into the pitch following Gor’s second goal.

After resumption, Ingwe had a chance to draw back level from the penalty spot, but Whyvonne Isuza struck his effort wide.

Gor had gone ahead with super fine goals from Boniface Omondi and Bernard Ondiek.

Up until Omondi’s 31st minute goal, the game had broken off into a procession, none of the two sides injecting pace into the game. Incidentally, it was goal scorer Omondi who seemed the liveliest of the 22 players on the pitch as he attempted to get into speed whenever he got the ball.

The pint sized winger provided the first chance of the game in the third minute when he lifted the ball into Samuel Onyango’s path, but the striker took a heavy first touch allowing keeper Ezekiel Owade to come out and pick the ball.

Two minutes on the turn, Joachim Oluoch was almost punished when a missed pass straight into the middle of the pack was intercepted by Alex Orotomal who sent Brian Marita through, but the winger’s shot was awry.

Gor had a good chance to break the deadlock on the quarter hour mark when Cersidy Okeyo’s freekick landed on Bernard Ondiek at the back post but his header was weak, straight into Owade’s arms.

AFC should have been one up after 27 minutes but the gods of luck never smiled their way after Gor defender Wesley Onguso almost turned the ball into his own net as he looked to clear away a flicked ball from Marita.

Four minutes later, Gor broke the deadlock, the game’s liveliest player hitting the back of the net with a low shot from the edge of the box after drifting into space when the ball was played out to him from the left.

AFC were stunned while the green half of the divide danced in joy.

The level of happiness should have gone same in the 37th minute, but AFC missed a great chance with Isaac Oduro’s freekick from a good scoring position went straight into the wall.

Two minutes later, they were punished.

Gor won the ball in midfield and Karim Nizigiyimana spread it wide on the other end to Omondi who cut into the box and sliced a pass back to Ondiek who took the simplest of finishes beating Owade one on one.

After the second goal, hell broke loose with a section of Ingwe supporters breaking seats and throwing into the pitch, protesting that in the build up to the goal there was a foul on their player.

After nine minutes, the game resumed though and AFC should have surely clawed back some hope of a comeback. They were given a penalty after Charles Momanyi handled inside the box as he defended a cross, but Whyvonne Isuza blasted the kick wide.

In the second half, AFC came brighter with head coach Rodolfo Zapata making a double switch bringing on Vincent Oburu and Eugene Mukangula for the ineffective Baker Lukooya and Edward Seda.

AFC were more incisive going forward, but they could not crack the backline of Momanyi and Joachim Oluoch which had stood firm, Oluoch particularly putting in a huge shift.

Four minutes from the restart, Mukangula swung in a sweet looking cross after skipping away from Wesley Onguso on the left, but Isuza’s effort on the volley went over unmarked inside the box.

AFC’s Nigerian striker Orotomal was causing all the danger and had two chances, one with a shot from the left which was well handled by the keeper while minutes later, his effort from the edge of the area was blocked.

In the 71^st minute, Orotomal was presented with another glorious opportunity when Oduro’s cross from the left picked him out, but his shot went straight to keeper Fredrick Odhiambo.

Gor turned the game into a training session, passing the ball around much to the cheer of the fans who enjoyed every touch of the ball.

With champagne chilling in ice, the Gor bench and the fans stood on their feet over the entire final five minutes of the game and once the referee’s final whistle sounded, the party flowed over from the stands into the pitch.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 25 – Defending champions and series leaders Homeboyz will lock horns with Kisii RFC in the Cup Quarter-finals of Mombasa’s Driftwood 7s which is the fourth leg of the National Sevens Circuit.

Other pairings will see Mwamba face Kabras Sugar, Nakuru will battle it out with Menengai Oilers while KCB take on Nondescript.

Champions Homeboyz had earlier secured a Cup quarterfinal berth with a game to spare, posting a 22-5 win over Menengai Oilers. The preceding Pool A fixture saw Northern Suburbs keep their Cup quarterfinal hopes alive with a 21-5 win over hosts Mombasa. Kisumu also stayed in the hunt with a narrow 17-14 win over MMUST.

Joining Homeboyz in the cup quarters were KCB, Nakuru, Menengai Oilers and Kenya Harlequin who won their second successive pool matches.

First Round Round Up

Menengai Oilers started the Driftwood Sevens with a 17-0 Pool A win over replacement side Northern Suburbs. Circuit leaders and defending champions Homeboyz were stunned early by hosts Mombasa but composed themselves to eventually win this fixture 19-5.

Resolution Kisii stopped late replacements MMUST 19-5 with Nakuru laboring to a 12-0 win over Kisumu. Kabras Sugar and the Strathmore Leos played out a 19-19 draw. There were also wins for KCB, Nondescripts and Quins as the first round of action concluded.

Forced Withdrawals

The tournament had earlier began on an unfortunate note, Mean Machine and Blak Blad who were travelling together forced to withdraw after being involved in a traffic accident at Mtito Andei enroute to Mombasa. Their places were taken up by Northern Suburbs in Pool A and Masinde Muliro in Pool B.

-By KRU Website- 

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 25 – Home lady player Nancy Ndung’u produced an impressive score of 41 points at the Par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club course on Saturday to claim the third edition of this year’s AHF Chairman’s Golf Challenge.

Playing off handicap 9, Nancy attributed her victory to consistent play and daily practice.

Nancy Ndung’u beat men’s winner Maurice K’Anjenjo on countback. Ndung’u shot 20 and 21 on both nines while handivap 10 K’Ajenjo managed 23 and 18.

Sam Karau playing off handicap 25 was the men’s runners with scores of 17 and 21 for a total of 38.

Rose Koome emerged the lady winner on a total of 37 made of 15 in the front nine and 22 in the back nine.

The AHF Board member Dr. Patrick Gichira emerged the best staff player of the company with a score of 11 points made up of 10 points in each nine.

The nines went to Philip Kangu and Michael Karanja Junior with 21 and 17 points each.

Amb. Dr. Stephen Karau playing off handicap 24 was the staff runners up with scores of 8 and 9 for a total of 17points.

Leading the ladies’ guests was Jane Ndirangu playing off handicap 26 who posted 38 points to win by three points from Annie Mutethia.

The men’s guest winner plating off handicap 16 with a total of 33 was Richard Githii.

Longest drive lady and male winners were Jane Ndirangu and Dr Joseph Karanja

Nearest to the pin best lady was Mary Maingi and Ndirangu Mwangi.

The AHF Kenya Chairman’s tourney seeks to leverage on sports to reach out to the high-end Kenyans, captains of industry and senior government officials with a message of HIV/AIDS. “After years at Kiambu we finally graced the home of golf and hope to visit several other courses countrywide. Standards have been set for the event and only the sky’s the limit,” said AHF Kenya Chairman Amb. (Dr) Stephen Karau

AHF deals with HIV prevention, treatment and advocacy. They conduct free HIV testing, provide free condoms and treatment to all Kenyans. They current operate in nine counties, Nairobi, Makueni, Mombasa, Kilifi, Homabay, Kisii, Kwale, Muranga and Turkana serving more than 51,000 Clients in the HIV care and treatment program.

During the tournament health wellness services including Blood sugar, Body Mass Index (BMI) as well as HIV Testing were offered at the club, Muthaiga Police station and Mathare area.

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JAKARTA, Indonesia, Aug 26 – World champion Rose Chelimo made light of brutal conditions on Sunday to scoop Asian Games gold for Bahrain with a runaway win in the women’s marathon.

The Kenyan-born athlete produced a devastating break from the leading pack after the 25-kilometre mark in Jakarta and ploughed a lonely furrow as she crossed the line to win in a modest time of two hours, 34 minutes and 51 seconds.

Chelimo’s gold continued Bahrain’s recent Asian Games success in the marathon after Eunice Kirwa and Hasan Mahboob — both also born in Kenya — won the women’s and men’s titles in 2014.

Despite smashing her rivals in a slow race to take gold, Chelimo admitted that Jakarta’s heat and poor air quality had caused her problems.

“It was bad, it was too hot,” the 29-year-old told AFP. “I felt something in my throat too. The air here, you feel like it’s hard to breathe.

“I felt like I wasn’t going to finish but I found some morale and hope to keep going. Thank God I finished with no harm.”

Chelimo had already crossed the finish line when Japan’s Keiko Nogami entered the stadium to claim silver over a minute and a half behind. North Korea’s Kim Hye Song took bronze.

“But I’m very proud to be the Asian champion,” said Chelimo, one of 10 siblings who captured the world title in London last year.

“I just spoke to my family on the phone and they were all praying for me,” added the gold medallist, who grew weary of the snail’s pace the leaders were running at to break away after 25km.

“I planned to break away around 35km but I saw my chance and decided to go for it,” said Chelimo.

“Nobody followed me so I continued to push the pace and then I was on my own.”

– Tokyo target –

Nogami bit her tongue when asked if she had any sore feelings about being beaten by a runner born in Kenya.

“Maybe, but she came first regardless of her nationality,” said the Japanese runner.

“Perhaps I should just focus on my own shortcomings.”

Nogami quickly set her sights on Tokyo 2020 when she will look to emulate countrywomen Naoko Takahashi and Mizuki Noguchi, who won Olympic gold in 2000 and 2004.

“It’s still only the silver but I hope to use this as a springboard,” said Nogami.

“I have still things to work on but this experience will make me a better runner. I’ll be ready (for Tokyo).”

Nogami, whose countryman Hiroto Inoue won the men’s marathon a day earlier, also complained about the heat despite the early morning start.

“When I threw my sunglasses away late in the race my eyes were really stinging,” she said.

“I felt then it was because of the air pollution but to be honest the heat was worse.”

Kirwa followed her Asian Games gold medal with a silver at the Rio Olympics two years ago and Chelimo signalled her intent to race at the 2020 Tokyo Games — mindful that severe heat could be a factor.

“I’m planning to go for gold in Tokyo,” she said. “I hope all will be well.”

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 26 – AFC Leopards head coach Rodolfo Zapata was gracious in defeat after seeing his side lose 2-0 to bitter rivals Gor Mahia on Saturday, in the process seeing K’Ogalo confirm their status as the 2018 Kenyan Premier League champions.

A nine-minute stoppage due to crowd trouble did not stop Gor as goals from Boniface Omondi and Bernard Ondiek saw them complete a double over Ingwe having beaten them 2-1 in the first leg.

“No excuses. We lost to Gor, they were better than us and we say congratulations and I want to wish them all the best in the International Competitions,” Zapata told Capital Sport after the match.

“We played well and the first 30 minutes we were excellent. But we ended up doing some mistakes. We created many scoring opportunities but we couldn’t finish and it was not a good day for us,” the Argentine tactician further added.

The loss was AFC’s first in five games and put to end an envious run of four wins on the trot which saw them rise to third in the standings. With bandari winning 1-0 against Nzoia Sugar in Mombasa, AFC’s hopes of clinching second spot were thwarted.

Skipper Duncan Otieno was also disappointed losing for a second consecutive time to their arch rivals but maintains they will rise from the disappointment.

“its an unfortunate loss because we had prepared to win, but things did not go as planned. We have lost yes, but it’s not the end of life. We will pick ourselves from here and move on to finish the season strongly. They (Gor) were only a point from winning the league and congratulations to them,” the skipper said.

He added; “We will go back to the drawing board and look at how our season went and work on the mistakes we had, correct them and focus on having a better season next year.”

In the derby, AFC missed up to seven first team players and Otieno said that cost them as they had to patch up in most of the positions.

Coach Zapata however said that should not be an excuse, noting that they simply couldn’t match up well to Gor’s challenge.

“We tried different formations and tried out different tactics but we couldn’t finish the chances we had. I am sorry to the AFC supporters because we lost but we tried. We have to move on from here and make sure we win all the remaining games. We are AFC Leopards, we are a big team and we have to win,” the coach further noted.

The team now focuses on pushing for a second spot finish despite falling three points off Bandari.

Meanwhile, Zapata has asked for patience as he continues to rebuild the team with a young group of players and added that next season they will be in better shape.

“We are playing very good football now but we need to be patient with the process of building the young players,” the coach said.

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MOMBASA, Kenya, Aug 26 – Kenya Sevens star Nelson Oyoo’s sudden death try saw Nakuru RFC claim their maiden Main Cup title this season after edging out Mwamba 12-7 in the Driftwood Sevens final in Mombasa on Sunday.

Wanyore who reached their second consecutive Cup Final showed their credentials beating log leaders Homeboyz RFC in the Cup semis and they went on to edge out an equally good Mwamba side in the final to clinch the fourth round of the National Sevens Series.

Nakuru were first over the chalk when Donald Oluoch dotted down and went on to convert, but a hard fighting Mwamba went back on level terms through the evergreen Collins Injera with the try converted forcing the game into sudden death.

“It has been very tight, very good competition from the start of the competition but we are happy that we went out to get what we had aimed for from the start. I am happy the boys took the challenge and came out to play and now I am positive of our prospects heading into the final two legs of the competition,” Nakiuru RFC head coach Mitch Ochollah said after the match.

KCB were the Bronze medal winners after they beat series leaders Homeboyz RFC 14-5 in the play-offs. The Bankers’ Vincent Onyala scored the two tries, one in each half as Samuel Asati and Shaban Ahmed added the twos. Jeff Oluoch scored a corner post try reducing the deficit to 14-5 at full time.

Kenya Harlequins lifted the Challenge Trophy as they beat next door neighbors, Impala Saracens 15-7. Edward Shitanda, Frank Wanyama and Cyprian Kuto landed a try each in the match while Impala’s solitary try came from Captain Samuel Motari with Mark Kwemoi adding the extras.

The Ngong Road derby was replicated when both Quins and Impala posted identical 26-7 scores over Northern Suburbs and hosts Mombasa respectively.

Strathmore Leos claimed the 13th place title as they saw Makueni off with a 14-5 win.

Kabras Sugar defeated Kisii 24 – 7 to reach the fifth place final, pairing up against Nondescripts who defeated Menengai Oilers 12- 0.

-Additional info courtesy KRU

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 26 – The Kenya Under-20 women’s volleyball team started their CAVB African Under-20 Championship on a roll beating Tanzania by straight sets (25-15, 25-21, 25-11) at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani Gymnasium on Sunday evening.

Coach Paul Gitau gave each of his players a run out for their opening match of the competition and he said despite some nervous moments especially in the second set, he was pleased with their performance.

“I am very happy with how we did today. There is no cause for alarm because as a coach, you want to preserve much from the first game. The team that played out in the final set is my first six. In the other two sets, I tried out different players and that’s why there were many mistakes,” Gitau said.

He added; “These girls are young and sometimes you don’t want to shout at them too much when they make mistakes and that’s why I was calm on the bench. At the breaks, we talked of our mistakes especially in service where we were losing many points and we corrected.”

In the other matches played on the opening day of the competition, DR Congo and Egypt also started their campaign on a high with straight set wins over Mauritius and Uganda respectively.

Hosts Kenya were touted to win against a very young Tanzanian side which was coming into the championship for the first time.

Nonetheless, the neighbors showed they were also in it to compete by pushing Kenya to the wall, winning the first point off a Kenyan serve.

But, Gitau’s girls were in control heading into the first technical time out leading 8-6. They continued rolling on after resumption and Tanzania was forced to call out their first time out with Kenya stretching away at 13-8.

Despite that, they couldn’t stem the tide with Kenya going off 16-9 leaders at the second technical time out.

The home girls kept on the push with skipper Mercy Likhayo and Stacy Otieno doing the work on the blocks while right attacker Belinda Nanjala delivered the bullets in attack.

The Junior Malkia took comfort after the second technical time out and went on to win the set 25-15.

However, the second set proved to be a nervous affair with Tanzania threatening by keeping a close tabs on the score. Kenya led 8-6 and 16-13 at the first and second technical time outs with the Tanzanians coming back stronger.

At some point, the score was tied at 21-21, but Gitau made changes bringing in his hard hitters and they delivered the job, stretching the score to 25-21.

The third set was a walk in the park for the home girls as they easily won 25-11, leading 8-4 and 16-7 at the first and second technical time outs.

The Junior Malkia will have a two day rest before resuming action on Wednesday evening when they play their second group match against Nigeria.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 27 – Sports Principal Secretary Kirimi Kaberia is on Monday expected to appear before a parliamentary watchdog committee to answer questions regarding the loss of Sh1.7 billion at the ministry.

Kaberia who was invited by the Public Accounts Committee last week is expected to answer MPs’ questions how the ministry spent monies to plan for last year’s IAAF World Under 18 Championship that was hosted at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani.

The ministry found itself in the spot light after Auditor General Edward Ouko revealed in his 2015/2016 report that huge amounts of money totalling Sh1.7 billion could have been embezzled by top ministry officials.

Committee Chairman Opiyo Wandayi while issuing the invite last week said the graft allegations at the ministry were weighty and called for urgency to unravel the truth.

“We cannot let this issue pass since it has generated huge public interest. The officials must respond to the queries raised,” said Opiyo at Parliament buildings.

Opiyo said the committee would not turn a blind eye on the matter especially at the time that the country’s top leadership led President Uhuru Kenyatta is keen on fighting and eradicating corruption.

“Until and unless the ministry responds, the Principal Secretary in the ministry will have to come with all the officials who are involved in procurement to explain their side of the story,” he said.

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NAIRIOBI, Kenya, Aug 27 – Nairobi is scheduled to host the first ever World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory in East Africa after the LANCET Group of Labs received an approval from the Anti-Doping watchdog for Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) blood analysis.

The lab is scheduled to begin operations in September and is expected to analyse between 800 and 1000 blood samples a year as part of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) doping control programme in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Eritrea.

The approval is a culmination of a nine-month project initiated and funded by the AIU, with support from the International Athletics Foundation.

“From now on, the analyses of blood samples will be performed locally. This will give us more efficiency, more responsiveness and less predictability in our testing programme in the region and a foothold in neighboring countries where it was extremely difficult to collect blood samples in the past. This is very timely especially in the context of next year’s IAAF World Championships in Doha,” Brett Clothier, Head of the AIU, stated.

“LANCET Group of Labs East Africa is proud to contribute to the fight against doping through this partnership. WADA’s approval is a great recognition of the professional standards and skills of our facility in Nairobi,” Ahmed Kalebi of the LANCET Group of Labs East Africa said.

LANCET Group of Labs have promised to provide quality service throughout and also hope the approval of the lab will become a long-standing involvement in the fight against doping.

The laboratory in Nairobi will perform blood analyses to support the AIU’s ABP program as well as other anti-doping programs operating in the area such as that of the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK).

–Further training

According to a communique from the AIU, the project engaged the services of the Centre of Research and Expertise in AntiDoping Sciences (REDs) at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland to select a candidate laboratory in the region and then provide training and technical advice to achieve WADA’s approval.

The initial training has been completed and further training will be carried out as required.

The availability of a regional lab will now ease the financial burden of ADAK and Athletics Kenya (AK) as previously, they were forced to transport samples to either Europe or South Africa.

It will also ease the burden for the AIU with 25pc of its over 3,500 samples collected in East Africa or from East African athletes.

“This laboratory is a major development towards the fight against doping in Africa for athletics and indeed for all sports. This is the first time since WADA’s inception that an International Federation has taken the initiative to establish a WADA-approved laboratory in an area of real need,” said David Howman, Chairman of the AIU.

LANCET Group of Labs East Africa operates primarily in the private healthcare environment and offers specialist pathology services to doctors and their patients directly or through clinics and hospitals, industrial sectors, corporates and insurances.

-Doping menace

Kenya has continuously come under the scope of the world with several high profile athletes this year flagged down on allegations of doping.

Four-time World 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop was earlier in the year provisionally banned after his urine samples returned a positive test for blood boosting EPO, the same fate suffered by World Under-20 800m champion Kipyegon Bett and Bahrain’s Kenyan born 3,000m steeplechase champion Ruth Jebet.

Marathoner Lucy Kabuu was also provisionally suspended by the AIU after her samples returned a positive test for Morphine.

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MEXICO CITY, Mexico, Aug 27 – Kenya’s Titus Ekiru ran a smart race at the Telcel Mexico City International Marathon to set a course record of 2:10:38 at the IAAF Silver Label event on Sunday, while Etaferahu Temesgen led an Ethiopian sweep in the women’s contest.

The men’s race set a modest pace from the start, covering the first five kilometres in 16:32.

About a dozen men reached the halfway mark in 1:06:09, a group that included Ethiopia’s defending champion Fikadu Kebede. At 30 kilometres, reached in 1:33:11, the leaders have been reduced to Ekiru, Edwin Koech and Matthew Kisorio, 43 seconds ahead of the chase group.

At that point, Ekiru made a decisive move and progressively extended his lead as the race approached the toughest hills on Insurgentes Avenue on its way to the Olympic stadium.

He upped the pace and covered the second half in 1:04:30 to win in 2:10:38, breaking the previous record of 2:11:12 and securing the second marathon victory of his career.

“I enjoyed the course and the altitude of Mexico City (2,240m) is similar as in Kenya so it did not affect me much,” said Ekiru, who has a PB of 2:07:43. “I am very happy to set a record and I realised at 20 kilometres that I felt very well, and I knew I could really break a new record.”

In his fourth marathon since making his debut at the distance in 2016, Ekiru pocketed Sh2.7mn (about US$27,000) for his effort. He became the third Kenyan in six years to win the race.

Koech (2:12:35) and Kisorio (2:13:14) completed a Kenyan sweep on the podium.

In the women’s race, marathon debutante Grace Wambui set a swift pace from the start.

By the five-kilometre mark, covered in 18:30, she enjoyed a lead of more than a minute and a half over the chase group. She had extended her advantage to 2:47 at the halfway mark (1:20:09).

But the ambitious pace took its toll on Wambui. The Ethiopian quartet of Etaferahu Temesgen, Fantu Eticha Jimma, Tinbit Weldegebriel and Biruktayit Degefa and Kenya’s Pamela Rotich ran smarter and caught up with her after 33 kilometres.

Wambui, visibly suffering, responded momentarily but suddenly stopped, hugged a policeman and cried on his shoulders. She tried to return, but her energy was depleted and opted out.

As the leading quintet made their way on Insurgentes to the Olympic stadium, Temesgen made a decisive move in the closing stages and it paid off as she crossed the finish line in 2:40:10 to take her first ever win at the distance in her eighth marathon.

The 26-year old, who boasts a 2:29:24 lifetime best set in Ottawa in 2015, led Jimma (2:40:24) Tinbit Weldegebriel (2:40:27) and Biruktayit Degefa (2:40:45) home to cement Ethiopia’s dominance in the race. Kenya’s Pamela Rotich finished fifth in 2:41:09.

“I have trained well for this race, so we managed the steep finish without problems,” said Temesgen.

A total of 32,645 runners crossed the finish line, including 68-year-old Miguel Ángel Vargas, the only person who has run all editions of the Mexico City Marathon. He wore bib number 42195.

The 36th edition followed the same course as in the 1968 Olympic Games.

It also paid tribute to Mexico’s renowned athletes, like two-time Olympian marathoner and coach Rodolfo Gomez, 1984 Olympic race walking champion Ernest Canto and Enriqueta Basilio, the first woman who lit the flame at the 1968 Games.

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NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 27 – Sports Principal Secretary Ambassador Kirimi Kaberia was at pains to explain to the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC) why the ministry opted to single source some of the suppliers for the IAAF World Under-18 Championships held in Nairobi last year.

Kaberia was appearing before the Opiyo Wandayi led committee on Monday to defend the ministry after an Auditor General’s 2016/2017 report disclosed that up to Sh1.7bn was lost during the week-long championships held at the Kasarani Stadium.

Kaberia maintained that the Ministry conducted itself with total transparency and fairness in all its undertakings in organizing the event, but this was put to sharp criticism from the committee which questioned why the Ministry blatantly chose to violate the Public Procurement Act.

MPs led by Wandayi, Otiende Amollo (Rarieda), Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu) questioned the Ministry decision to violate the procurement laws that call for a competitive pubic tender process arguing that the Ministry had sufficient time to engage the public in a fair tender process.

According to the Auditor General’s findings, a total of Sh349 million was incurred through direct procurement.

“Why did the Ministry single source suppliers yet the process could have been done differently,” posed Amollo.

A total of Sh71mn was spent on Windsor, Safaripark and Kasarani Sports view Hotels and according to Kaberia the hotels were identified as per the Events Organizing Agreement (EOA) and the IAAF inspection reports.

Further, Kaberia revealed that contracted directly were IAAF Event sponsors: Safaricom, Sarova and Parapet at a cost of Sh145mn.

“The sourcing of hotels was informed by the international standards set by IAAF. For instance, Safari Park Hotel met the international classification and was near the venue. The selection of Sarova Hotels was based on classification and experience of handling international symposiums,” he said.

More astounding to the bemuse of the lawmakers, Kaberia revealed that a total of Sh3mn was used to purchase mobile phones for the Local Organizing Committee and IAAF staff during the event to enhance communication.

Kaberia however failed to explain if the devices were recovered something which angered Kiharu lawmaker Nyoro.

“You purchased mobile phones for a certain group of people yet when the event was over the Ministry did not bother to get back the devices in what seems to be a clear case of clear misuse of public funds,” he said.

Among the suppliers who also pocketed millions from the Ministry is Pewin Cabs Limited who were procured to offer transport services without competitive bidding at a cost of Sh23mn above the market rate.

The same company was also given another contract for the dry cleaning and laundry services under Sports Kenya at a cost of Sh30mn.

Close to 80 firms have been named in the Sh1.7 billion saga that threatens to hurt the image of the management of sports in the country ahead of the IAAF World Under-20 Championship whose hosting rights were awarded to Kenya a month ago.

Kaberia however assured members that the Ministry would do more to ensure that the 2020 feat is devoid of any scandal through enhancing its conduct by improving systems that would facilitate accountability and transparency.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 27 – In the wake of Kenyan athletes continuously being webbed by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) with several suspensions based on doping violations, Athletics Kenya has reiterated that it is taking the fight on doping seriously.

This year alone, four Kenyan athletes have already been slapped with provisional suspensions by the AIU pending investigations by the IAAF raising concern over the credibility of the country’s athletes.

Four-time 1500m World Champion Asbel Kiprop (who has continuously professed innocence) was the first to be hit by the AIU flame after earning a provisional suspension after his samples returned a positive test for blood boosting EPO.

Distance runner Samuel Kalalei has also been charged over the use of EPO while fellow marathoner Lucy Kabuu has also been charged after her samples returned a positive test for Morphine.

The latest in the list of Kenyan athletes to be hit with AIU charges is World Under-20 Champion and 2017 London World 800m bronze medalist Kipyegon Bett who has been slapped with two cases, the first being refusal to submit a sample while the second was an allegation of a positive test for EPO.

“We have had a number of high profile cases and they seem to be continuing. However, we want to say that as a country we are doing our best to show it is a thing of the past. Those who want to engage in doping will suffer the consequences seriously,” Athletics Kenya(AK) boss Lt Gen. (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei said in a terse statement on Monday afternoon.

He added; “We are working very closely with AIU and ADAK. Those who want to cheat should start counting their days. We believe there is no shortcut to success and we are determined to protect the clean athletes and this means we will be ruthless with the few cheats.”

Tuwei went on to state the Association’s steps in combating the growing vice even with sources intimating that the AIU web might nab more big names in the coming weeks.

He noted the establishment of a six-man Doctor’s network team which was put up to oversee all elite athletes in the country while last week, AK announced they will be setting up a Multi-Agency Andi-Doping Governance Committee to help in combating the vice.

Even as AK vow over the roofs that they are committed to fighting doping, they welcomed news that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had approved the establishment of an Athlete Biological Passport blood analysis center in Nairobi.

The LANCET group of labs is scheduled to begin operations in September and is expected to analyse between 800 and 1000 blood samples a year as part of the AIU doping control programme in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Eritrea.

“This is the best news we have received as AK and we are very excited about this. It supports our program on fighting doping. It means everything will be easier and the facility will help us fight this menace more effectively. We will no longer need to go outside the country for tests,” said Tuwei.

Though the lab funded by AIA and the International Athletics Foundation will only be restricted to blood testing, Tuwei is optimistic that it’s jurisdiction will be expanded as time goes to allow it perform more tests.

The establishment of the lab in Nairobi is seen as a bold move by WADA to screen more East African athletes especially Kenyans and Ethiopia who are in the IAAF Category A athletes.

Meanwhile, the Anti Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) has also welcomed the news of the establishment of a regional lab in Nairobi.

“ADAK’s mandate of safeguarding the integrity of the Kenyan sport has received a great boost from this development. It has reinforced our position on the role of stakeholders in the fight against doping.

“I wish to commend the Government, through the Ministry of Sports, the World Anti-Doping Agency, Athletics Integrity Unit, LANCET Group of Laboratories and all other players who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that the country hosts such a facility,” ADAK boss Japhter Rugut said.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 28 – Kenya has pulled out of hosting the 2018 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup that was scheduled for December, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) boss Nick Mwendwa announced on Tuesday.

CECAFA had agreed to hand the hosting rights to Kenya after it successfully staged the tournament last year across three venues, but Mwendwa on Tuesday disclosed that the federation will find it tough funding it due to tough financial strains.

“We have decided to cut down on the events that we are doing. We are not going to host CECAFA Senior Challenge this year. We have asked CECAFA to relieve us of that opportunity so that this year we don’t have to do any major even because obviously of how our finances are,” Mwendwa said in a press briefing at the federation headquarters.

He disclosed that the Federation is struggling to pay up debts accrued from the previous regime and at the same time battling with up to 12 cases in court.

Also on the Federation’s neck is an accumulated bill of almost 156mn shillings, two being claims of former coaches while one is a claim from the tax man over failure to remit PAYE (Pay As You Earn) for its employees.

“Our case against Adel Amrouche is at CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sports) after we appealed when a one man bench at FIFA awarded him 600,000 Dollars (Sh60mn) earlier in the year. We will fight the appeal and see how it goes,” Mwendwa said.

“Bobby Williamson has also gone to the labor court and his claim is Sh55mn. KRA (Kenya Revenue Authority) are on our case and he claim is that between 2012 and 2015 FKF did not remit PAYE for its employees which accumulated to Sh24mn which with penalties became Sh41mn. We have been trying to negotiate and see what we can do,” Mwendwa disclosed.

-Training coaches, Youth development-

He now says because of all the legal battles they are facing and paying off previous creditors, they have been forced to prioritize and their areas of concern will be on training of coaches, youth development, leagues and national teams.

“Those are our priorities and we will stick with them. We will try keep the ship as lean as possible to make savings and keep afloat, the challenges are many but we are hopping that when the sports fund is available we can attack them through those means. We are also talking to government to see whether they can be of help anywhere,” Mwendwa disclosed.

This year, FKF’s biggest budgetary allocation will be around the Harambee Stars as they play Ghana next month, a venture that is said to be costing in the region of Sh16mn, home and away ties to Ethiopia, a home tie against Sierra Leone and an away trip to Ghana in the 2019 African Cup of Nations Qualifiers.

Mwendwa remains confident that Kenya can give its shot and be one of the two qualifiers to next year’s showpiece.

-AWCON hosting rights-

Meanwhile, Mwendwa has admitted that the Federation had approached CAF to ask for hosting rights for November’s African Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON), but the continental body rejected the same due to facilities.

At the moment, only Kasarani Stadium can host any international match with Nyayo closed while Machakos, Bukhungu and Afraha are yet to tick the right boxes to host a continental event.

“We all know that it is only Kasarani which fits the bill but I was hoping that probably Machakos would, but there are a few aspects that let us down there. The reason we asked to host this was because a third team gets the chance to play at the World Cup next year and I was hoping our Starlets can get that chance,” Mwendwa said.

He also hinted that the federation has been frustrated with the lack of facilities, especially with those earmarked for CHAN yet to be completed. Nyayo has been closed down since last September and works have slowed down due to budgetary issues.

“I will not blame the government because I think they have been very helpful to us but we are talking with them. I had conversations with the minister because I went there to get guarantees when we were presenting documents to CAF and he has promised to do something,” Mwendwa added.

Meanwhile, CAF will make a decision next month on whether or not to strip Ghana of the hosting rights for the Cup of Nations with the West African country still in a leadership vacuum after the resignation of top officials over a corruption expose early this year.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 28 – Cyclists from across Africa will join Kenyan riders at the second annual road race in Kiambu County on the weekend of September 8-9.

The event, held at Tatu City, is expected to attract large crowds of spectators as more than 250 cyclists will tackle the 106km course.

The event will take place over two days with family friendly entertainment and refreshments for spectators.

On Day 1, the criterium race will be around a traffic free, 4km circuit on Tatu City’s new asphalt surfaced roads. Day 2 will witness the main event – a 106km race running from Tatu City up to Kiganjo, Mundoro, Gatunda and Gitwe. There is also a 60km event for those who find 106km too daunting. A total of KES 400,000 in prize money is up for grabs with equal prize money for the men’s and women’s races

Nick Langford, Kenya Country Head for Rendeavour, owner and developer of Tatu City, predicts that this year’s event would be a big success, attracting not only the cycling elite but amateur enthusiasts of all ages and abilities.

“The racing is open for everyone, and for each and everyone the race will provide its own individual challenge. The entire team at Tatu City looks forward to welcoming racers and spectators to a hugely exciting event.”

Teams from all over Kenya, including Safari Simbaz, VeloNos, Kenyan Riders, Nakuru cyclists and Team ARABIKA from Mombasa, have already registered. They will compete against international teams from Uganda, Eritrea and Sierra Leone.

Last year’s event at Tatu City raised the bar for road cycling events in Kenya, and the cycling community is anticipating another demanding and exciting race. The inaugural event held in 2017 saw more than 140 cyclists compete, with Kenyan Riders star Suleiman Kang’ang’I emerging as the overall winner.

The 2018 race will be held in partnership with Hashim “Zuzu” Sharif, a well-known Kenyan cycling enthusiast and organiser of cycling events. Several sponsors including Sossi, Sama Ice, Coca-Cola, Yatta Juice by KWAL, Farmers Choice and Utalii Kwa Baiskeli will be sponsoring this year’s event.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 28 – The Kenyan Premier League (KPL) Independent Disciplinary and Complaints Committee (IDCC) will convene on Friday for a hearing over the chaos that marred Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards’ Mashemeji Derby last Saturday.

The game was stopped for nine minutes after a section of AFC Leopards supporters started pelting objects, unplucking stadium seats and throwing them into the pitch causing some considerable damage.

“We have received the match report from the officials and will be in the process of looking at the contents and issuing out charges. The IDCC has already been notified of a seating on Friday and we expect them to expedite the process because it is a matter of national interest,” KPL Chief Executive Officer Jack Oguda told Capital Sport.

While Gor Mahia was the home team and thus responsible for all security arrangements of the game, AFC fans were recorded doing the damage while photos have also emerged of some Gor fans throwing seats.

This comes even as Football Kenya Federation (FKF) on Tuesday said they were dismayed with the action from the fans and said in any event the IDCC will fail to act, they will swing in themselves.

“Here we are, crying that we don’t have facilities while some people are destroying the only stadium we have. It is so frustrating and we want to ask KPL and the IDCC to act, failure to which, we will act ourselves,” Mwendwa said.

“We cannot continue watching as individuals continue to destroy what we have built at a time when we are asking fans to come out to the stadium and support us,” added the enraged federation chief.

He has gone on to ask police to also reign in on the individuals who were caught on tape causing destruction, adding that it is a criminal offence and should be dealt with at that stage.

Among the sanctions that might await AFC or Gor, whoever is found culpable include docking of points as it happened in 2016 when K’Ogalo were deducted three points due to the same in their match against Tusker FC with the latter going on to win the title.

“Of course, that is one of the sanctions that is available, but we cannot pre-empt on what the IDCC will say. Ours is to wait and see the kind of action that will be taken. There might be fines, there might be arrests, we don’t know,” Mwendwa noted.

He added; “It is difficult for us to go into the details of that because the Sports Tribunal was clear with us that we cannot get into matters of the KPL and we leave that to them. But on this, if they don’t act, we will.”

Meanwhile, the sore relations between KPL and FKF do not seem like they will end soon with Mwendwa admitting that it is ‘difficult’ working with KPL with the current Memorandum of Understanding.

Other than the issue surrounding the derby, Mwendwa also said it was difficult to convince KPL to shelve fixtures for Gor over this month to allow them participate better in continental football.

“The Tribunal was very clear in its ruling that FKF cannot interfere with the running of the league. So we cannot do anything. Gor came to us and told us to help them shelve some fixtures, but our hands are tied. With this contract as it is, we cannot do anything. We will have to live with it until 2020 when it ends then we constitute a new one,” added the Federation chief.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 28 – The national 15s team will kick-off their 2019 Rugby World Cup repechage campaign against Canada on November 11 before taking on Hong Kong and Germany in the round robin competition.

This is after the Kenya Simbas missed on automatic qualification occasioned by their 53-28 defeat at the hands of powerhouse Namibia in the Africa Gold Cup held August 18 away in Windhoek.

The Simbas are scheduled to resume training on Monday September 3, as they embark on their final quest to secure a 2019 Rugby World Cup berth at the Repechage competition in Marseille, France from 11th to 23rd November.

Kenya have been seeded third for this competition based on their current global ranking of 28 while Hong Kong, ranked 21st globally, are top seeds with Canada (23) seeded second and Germany (29) seeded fourth.

The other competing teams namely Canada reached this competition after failing to qualify from the Americas region, Germany fell to a playoff defeat against Samoa while Hong Kong qualified for the repechage after with playoff victory over the Cook Islands.

They will begin their repechage campaign with a clash against Canada on Sunday 11 November before playing familiar foes Hong Kong on Saturday 17 November and Germany on Friday 23 November.

Fixtures (East African Time)

Sunday 11 November 2018

Hong Kong v Germany – 4.00pm

Canada v Kenya – 6.30pm

Saturday 17 November 2018

Hong Kong v Kenya – 4.00pm

Canada v Germany – 6.30pm

Friday 23 November 2018

Kenya v Germany – 8.00pm

Hong Kong v Canada – 10.30pm

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 28 – Gor Mahia arrived in Algiers, Algeria on Tuesday evening, just less than 24 hours before facing hosts USM Alger in a crucial CAF Confederations Cup tie, one that puts them on the doorstep of history.

Culminating in a fine season where K’Ogalo have managed to wrap up their 17th Kenyan Premier League title with six matches to spare and done considerably well on the continent, they are hugely careful not to drop the pot at the doorstep.

Gor would have wrapped up the Group Stage campaign on August 19 with at least a draw against Rayon, but the 2-1 loss at home meant they have to endure the last day jitters.

Heading into the final round of matches, Gor sit at the top with eight points, same as second placed USM Alger while Rayon are third with six while Yanga sit bottom with four points.

An outright win will mean Gor sail through to the quarter finals regardless of whatever result Rayon post against Yanga but a loss or a draw would mean they have to hope beyond hope that Yanga, who have nothing to gain or lose, produce a shock in Kigali against Yanga.

A draw, if Rayon beats Yanga in Kigali will mean K’Ogalo are out, despite three teams finishing on nine points.

According to Rule 21 of the CAF rulebook;

“In case of a tie between more than two teams at the end of the group matches, the teams will be using the following criteria as per the order listed below:

21.1 The greatest number of points obtained in the matches between the concerned teams;

21.2 The best goal difference in the matches between the concerned teams.

21.3 The greatest number of goals scored in the matches between the concerned teams.

21.4 The greatest number of away goals scored in the matches between the concerned  

In this case,

Gor will sit third in points as they would have picked up only three from both Rayon Sport and USM. The Algerians would have picked six points from Gor and Rayon while Rayon would have picked five points between USM and Gor.

If this happens, USM will top the group, Rayon will be second and Gor third. Hence, USM and Rayon go through. This means, a draw is not good news for K’Ogalo.

In case of a point between Gor and USM and Yanga beats Rayon, Gor will finish top of the group and USM second on account of having the best goal difference.

“We know it is a tough call playing in North Africa looking at the history with Kenyan clubs, but we are going there to try and run our race. We will fight to the last drop of sweat and we are prepared to do our best and get a result,” Gor Mahia head coach Dylan Kerr said ahead of the tie.

Gor ran USM close when the two sides met in the first leg and a tale of missed chances at a rain-soaked Moi Sports Centre Kasarani, never mention they had to play most of the second half with 10 men summarized their frustration.

The Kenyan champions walk into Algeria with some confidence that the Algerians are actually beatable. They beat Yanga 5-0, but the Tanzanians revenged with a shock 2-1 result in Dar es Salaam. Rayon Sport picked a point in their turf and Gor will feel they can do the same on Wednesday.

“We just need to keep to our plan and play with confidence. These players can achieve so much with the potential we have and if we get things right, we can get a result at USM. It doesn’t matter what history says,” a defiant Kerr said.

Gor’s last sojourn to North Africa was early this year in the Champions League when they lost out 1-0 to Esperance, a game that Kerr maintains they should have won.

That performance coming at a time when the squad was still finding its feet in the season will be an enough confidence boost for the record Kenyan champions.

Skipper Harun Shakava has issued a rallying call to his charges.

“We have to believe in ourselves. We have a golden chance to make it to the quarters and create history. This is our chance and we will grab it,” the captain said.

Gor rested his entire first team squad for their last two league games, but the whole team had a training session at Kasarani before the derby last Sunday.

“I wanted to bring a sense of togetherness in the team to show that we are all one. Of course many people questioned my fielding for the derby, but I had a choice to make. I am hoping we will be strong and fresh to play a good game,” Kerr noted.

The tactician has tinkered with his squad with goalkeeper Fredrick Odhiambo rewarded with a place in the team after two stellar performances against Sofapaka and AFC Leopards.

With first choice keeper Boniface Oluoch returning from injury, Shabaan Odhoji who started against Yanga is dropped for the tie alongside right back Wellington Ochieng.

Karim Nizigiyimana who has played consecutive games against Chemelil, Sofapaka and AFC leopards and done well might be trusted to man the right side of defense while Philemon Otieno will keep up with his patch-up work at left back.

“We have a huge task ahead of us but I know we can do it. We have a good squad and everyone believes in himself, the coach believes in us and we have to deliver. If given a chance I will do my all on the pitch to ensure we qualify,” Nizigiyimana who has missed a considerable part of the season with injury said.

The charge for goals will be led by Jacques Tuyisenge and Francis Mustafa who combined for Gor’s lone goal against Rayon Sport.

The match will kick off at 4pm EAT, concurrently with the Rayon v Yanga tie in Kigali.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 29 – A field of 195 golfers has been drawn to take part in the inaugural Mount Kenya Leisure Lodge Golf Day at the Ruiru Sports Club on Saturday.

This is the first time that the renowned international tourist hotel based in Naro Moru, Nyeri, is hosting a golf tournament, a fete that has attracted golfers from across the country to the expansive Par 72 course.

Golf Captain Peter Mwaura said: “It’s a big honour to host this tournament. With the course currently in excellent shape, we are expecting quite a competitive outing in the battle for the top prize.”

Home players who have recently been in good form including Chege Gacibu (handicap 27), Benson Kimani, (18), Lucy Kwendo (21), Ben Omondi (1), PN Mburu (15) and Antony Kamau (22) are expected to put up a strong defence, having won in tournaments the past three weeks.

“For us, we are keen to engage and interact with our customers and potential customers who have supported our business so far, as we grow tourism in the country. We see golf as a good avenue to achieve this,” said Peter Mbichire, the proprietor of Mount Kenya Leisure Lodge.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 29 – Thika United’s hope of reviving their chances of surviving the axe for a second consecutive season were dealt a massive blow on Wednesday afternoon after suffering a 3-0 loss at the hands of Kariobangi Sharks in Machakos.

George Abege’s second minute goal, Duke Abuya’s finish six minutes from time and Eric Kapaito’s penalty at the stroke of full time saw Sharks climb to seventh in the Kenyan Premier League standings.

Thika remained pegged bottom of the pile with a sixth consecutive loss and are 10 points away from safety with six matches remaining before the season ends.

Former Harambee Stars goalkeeper Joseph Rutto stepped up on the touchline for the second consecutive game after former head coach John Njogu hired mid-season left the club on personal grounds.

But, it was Sharks who got off to a perfect start inside the opening minute of the game when Ugandan forward George Abege glanced home at the near post after racing to a Moses Mwangi cross from the right.

It was a relieving start for William Muluya’s charges who have endured a tough second leg and just last weekend put to an end a five-match losing streak with a slim 1-0 win over Sofapaka.

Thika, with heaps of relegation worries on their faces put in a gallant fight as they seek to clutch to any available straw of survival with six matches left before the season ends.

-Mwachoki experience

They should have gone level after 12 minutes when the experienced feet of Hajji Mwachoki sent youngster James Kinyanjui through, but the latter’s low effort inside the box was parried away by Sharks keeper Gad Mathew.

They almost paid for that miss in the 18^th minute when a poorly defended freekick from Bolton Omwenga, but Duke Abuya could not burry the ball home from close range with Allan Owiny saving.

Thika did not show signs of being cowed despite going down and Mwachoki rolled back the years with a 25^th minute shot from range after intercepting a Pascal Ogweno pass, but the shot went wide.

Sharks went on attacking as well and on the half hour mark, they had a brilliant chance when Patillah Omotto’s freekick from the right landed on Shaphan Oyugi unmarked inside the box, but the midfielder’s connection went awry.

Mwachoki, despite his advanced years showed that he still got the quality stringing in passes in the final third and anchoring the Thika attack. Six minutes to half time he came gloriously close to drawing the side level but his left foot shot inside the box was acrobatically tipped over the bar by Mathew.

In the second half, Sharks continued pushing and Abege had two more chances, first heading wide unmarked from the edge of the six yard box from an Omwenga freekick in the 58^th minute before shooting wide after being sent through from the right in the 65^th minute.

-Simale miss

He was hauled off for Sidney Simale and it seems the new entrant picked up the bag of misses. Just six minutes after coming on, Simale did well to break into the box before wiping past Sosthenes Idah, but his eventual shot was saved by Owiny.

In the final minutes of the game, Thika tried to get at least a point off and they had a chance late on with Dennis Matasi’s freekick from the edge of the area flying inches over.

Abuya dealt Thika the hammer blow in the 84^th minute with a simple finish inside the box after Sharks turned over possession from Thika.

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 29 – Gor Mahia’s dream of making it into the CAF Confederations Cup quarter final for the first time in their history came crushing down on Wednesday evening after losing 2-1 away to Algeria’s USM Alger.

Coming into the final round of matches sitting top of the standings, Gor needed at least a point to progress to the next round but found themselves chasing the game with goals in either half from Prince Ibara Amir Sayoud saw USM get victory.

Jacques Tuyisenge scored late on for K’Ogalo but it never bore the confidence for a valuable equalizer.

Rayon Sport beat Tanzania’s Yanga in the other group match played concurrently in Kigali, Rwanda with the result seeing USM finish top of the group with 11 points, Rayon second with nine while Gor finish third in the group with eight points.

The Kenyan champions will rue their loss against Rayon on August 18 in Nairobi in a match that they only needed a point from to confirm their place in the group stages with a game to spare.

A point against USM would have seen Gor go through ahead of Rayon on goal difference.

-Squad changes

Gor head coach Dylan Kerr handed keeper Peter Odhimabo a start ahead of Boniface Oluoch after his impressive displays against Sofapaka and AFC Leopards in the Kenyan Premier League.

He set out a solid group behind him with Philemon Otieno partnered in midfield with Ernest Wendo as Joash Onyango went out left of defense and Charles Momanyi partnered Harun Shakava in the middle.

The home side knowing they needed a win to assure themselves of a slot in the quarters started brighter and in the ninth minute, they had the opportunity to go up ahead when they were given a penalty after Harun Shakava handled inside the box.

However, keeper Odhiambo repaid the faith shown in him by the coach saving from Mohammed Meftah with his feet, the USM midfielder’s shot straight through the middle blocked.

This was the third penalty Odhiambo was facing in as many games. He saved in the Sofapaka match while in the AFC tie, Whyvonne Isuza’s strike went wide.

USM continued to pile in the pressure and two minutes after missing a penalty, they attacked again and Joash Onyango had to throw in an important boot to pluck the ball away from Ibara’s head as he lurked behind to head home off an Abderrahmone Meziane cross.

-Zonal marking

Yaya Faouzi should have broken the lead in the 32^nd minute when he was senbt through with acres of space on the right but he couldn’t wrap his foot well around the ball, his shot going wide.

But three minutes later, Gor found themselves a goal down when Ibara’s looping header unmarked from the right found the defense and keeper Odhiambo flat footed from a corner.

Gor were punished when no one picked up Ibara, as the Kenyan champions resorted to zonal marking which found the attacker isolated and headed in with ease.

Odhiambo was called into action in the 38^th minute to parry away a stinging header from Faouzi off an Ibara cross from the left, the lanky striker having done well to skip past Momanyi.

Gor tried to pick up in attack in the final five minutes of the half and Jack Tuyisenge had a chance in the 41^st minute but his left foot shot inside the box went straight to keeper Mohammed Zemmamouche’s arms.

At the stroke of half time, a beautiful build up play from Gor saw Tuyisenge cut back a cross for Francis Kahata inside the box but his shot was blocked for a corner.

–Second half

USM kept the pressure in the second half and on the hour mark they had a chance when Meftah’s freekick came against the wall and Abderaouf Benguit’s shot from the lose ball was blocked for a corner by Wendo.

In the 62^nd minute, the home side had another chance from a set piece again and it was that man Meftah again, but his shot flew inches over the bar.

Gor made attacking changes, Samuel Onyango coming on for Karim Nizigiyimana as Gor went three at the back with an urgency of getting an equalizer and probable winner.

They kept the push and came very close after 78minutes when Harun Shakava’s freekick from range was well saved by the keeper who also bounced back to keep away the rebound from Tuyisenge.

Immediately, the home side rattled that Gor were in it to score went 2-0 up, two substitutes combining with Moktar Benmoussa squaring back a pass for Sayoud to slam home unmarked at the edge of the six yard box.

–Tuyisenge goal

On the turn after the restart, Gor, halved the deficit when Tuyisenge nodded the ball home from a Francis Kahata corner and despite the keeper managing to put a palm on it, it had already crossed the line.

Despite some late effort to salvage something off the match, Gor were unlucky with Rayon holding on at home for the slim 1-0 win over Yanga that sailed them through.

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