Post Match: Gor Mahia (H)

Leopards trounced Gor Mahia 3-0 with goals from Charles Okwemba, Mike Baraza and Laurent Tumba.

Daily Nation carries a front page picture of Charles Okwemba scoring and carries the following report.

There’s nothing more dangerous than a wounded leopard as Gor Mahia came to learn on Sunday when they were given a 3-0 hiding by AFC Leopards at Nyayo National Stadium in the only Kenyan Premier League match of the weekend.

It was a sweet revenge for Ingwe, who had lost 3-1 to Gor in their first leg meeting in July and enjoyed their unprecedented second three-goal win on the trot having defeated Sony Sugar by a similar margin last Saturday but one.

Jan Koops’s men had plenty of character yet too much rests with the goals from Charles Okwemba, Mike Barasa and Laurent Tumba as Leopards continue to impose their authority on this campaign. The blessing for the Leopards coach lies in the fact he continues to have a few men who can sway a game as their striker Barasa did here. His efforts dispelled talk of all other issues, but concerns do exist.

Salim Khamis, for instance, operated in a deeper position and although that ensured involvement it took him no closer to the rediscovery of his habitual impact. Leopards however had no need to count on him when another striker teemed with a virtuosity that was encapsulated in his team’s second goal.

There had been a presumption that the creativity in the Leopards’ den would swamp the visitors, and that goal was exquisite. “That was one of my best goals in as many years. I just saw the ball coming and thought very fast not to control and just shoot straight and it happened to beat the keeper all the way. I’m very happy,” said Barasa, who survived a freak road accident two weeks ago in Nakuru.

The atmosphere was red-hot and the crowd roared to a crescendo as the old foes strolled into the field. When play under way it was not long before Leopards gained possession and were quickly on the attack. It was the towering Harambee Stars striker who exposed Gor’s shocking vulnerability in early minutes and suggested that their wheels are not just falling off but bouncing far away over the horizon.

K’Ogalo looked so poor here, especially deep into the second half, one wonders if they have the resources to limp through to the title next month. Ingwe entered the match with a purpose as Oscar Kadenge forced a pin-point save from Gor’s custodian Fredrick Onyango then Barasa volleyed a chance into the crowd in the 13th minute.

Three minutes later, Onyango’s indecisiveness at goal gifted Okwemba as he tapped in the first goal to send the sea of blue and white fans into a frenzy. Gor started to creep into the game and Kevin Omondi went close with a curling volley which Patrick Matasi clipped out for a fruitless corner. A searching ball from Moses Otieno found Moses Odhiambo but the dreadlocked forward just could not connect but shot close straight at Matasi. At resumption, Leopards tormented their opponents at every opportunity. They extended their lead in the 62nd minute by virtue of a brilliant exchange between Collins Kisuya and Okwemba, who picked up the ball on the left and dazzled past three defenders before lobbing across the face of goal. Barasa happily connected home. Barely 10 minutes later, super-sub Tumba capitalised on a defence blunder from Collins Omondi as he fired from close range for the winner.

Futaa has the following report:-

Charles Okwemba's first half goal and second half strikes by Mike Baraza and substitute Laurent Tumba handed AFC Leopards an impressive 3-0 win over arch rivals Gor Mahia in a Kenyan Premier League game played at the Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday 2 October 2011. With National team Coach Zedekiah Zico Otieno missing from Gor's bench, Assistant Coach Anaba Awono, a Cameroonian, was in charge as was Leopards Dutch coach Jan Wephukulu Koops on the opposite dugout.

The earliest hint of a goal was in the 12^th minute, when from the edge of the box an unmarked Oscar Kadenge for Leopards shot straight at Gor keeper Jerim Onyango, who denied him what could have been his fifth goal for Leopards since he joined in June from Tusker FC.

The very next minute, action swung the other way when Gor got a corner, but the resultant kick was nicked off the near post for another corner by former West Kenya keeper Patrick Matasi. From the incoming corner, Leopards worked out a counter, but Baraza with a defender to beat, shot skyward from 35 yards out with a myriad of options at his disposal.

With Leopards on the ascendancy, It did not take long for the opening goal to come as two minutes later, Kadenge whipped in a cross from the left which found an unmarked Charles Okwemba in the box; Onyango in the Gor goal, raced for the ball leaving his goal area open and Okwemba obliged, simply placing it into the open net.

Okwemba could have had his second in 28^th minute but he was hacked from behind by Collins Omondi, with the resultant foul fired straight at keeper Onyango. Sensing that Leopards were taking over the game, Gor came back strongly, with returnee Kevin daddy Omondi making his way to the box on 32 minutes but his feeble shot was easily babied and tucked by Leopards keeper Patrick Matasi’s warm gloves. Four minutes later, Omondi was at it again but this time, he tried out from the edge of the box but Matasi again got a hand to it to concede a corner which eventually resulted to naught.

Five minutes to the break, former Moro United, Simba, Young Africans and APR player Moses Odhiambo, from a tricky angle while on the right wing got to within six yards of Matasi after getting past Kisuya, but he shockingly sent the feeblest of shots straight at a bemused Matasi.

With the break getting closer, Edwin Lavatsa was ushered to the byline by Jonas Nahimana before he could cross, in what became the final highlight of the first half. The second half started on a high for Gor when Lavatsa put Moses Odhiambo through but his chase fell short, as Matasi got to it first. Two minutes to the hour mark big Leopards striker Francis Chinjili, put his head to a free kick and was seconds away from celebrating his first goal for the club until Onyango got a touch to it to push the ball out for a corner.

A minute later former Ulinzi Stars defender Collins Kisuya made an impressive run on the left wing to deliver a pin point overhead cross that perfectly landed for Baraza, who with a volley left Onyango in the Gor goal perplexed as he sent Leopards 2-0 up and his personal haul to ten goals this season.

Leopards were forced to replace Chinjili on 68 minutes after a collision with goal scorer Baraza led to him needing stitches on his forehead. In his place came Laurent Tumba who needed six minutes to turn the score into a hiding of Gor Mahia. Pressure from the Leopards midfield, meant Gor left back Collins Omondi had to pass the ball back to his goalkeeper, but his back pass was feeble, and Tumba latched on to it to send Leopards 3-0 up on 74 minutes.

A dejected Gor could do little in the final minutes of the game, as it rolled on to a close. Leopards buoyed by Matasi's heroics avenged a 3-1 loss to their rivals in the first leg game played on 24 July 2011. Leopards remain seventh on the log but close the gap with sixth placed Gor Mahia to one. The former, with five wins in seven games, now rest on 36 points.

 

Line-ups

Gor Mahia: 1. Fredrick Onyango (Captain), 19. Solomon Nasio, 27. Collins Omondi, 15. Eric Masika, 5. Musa Mohammed, 13. Collins Okoth, 8. Tony Onyango, 30. Moses Otieno (6. Anthony Akumu), 9. Edwin Lavatsa (24 Selenga Mangili) 25. Moses Odhiambo (7 Haji Mwachoki), 14. Kevin Omondi

Substitutes: 16. Ronnie Kagunzi (Gk), 2. Kevin Ochieng, 17. Dan Makori, 3. Christopher Wekesa

AFC Leopards: 1. Patrick Matasi, 5. Edwin Baraza, 24. Collins Kisuya, 4. Martin Imbalambala, 17. Jonas Nahimana, 22. Bernard Mangoli, 27. Oscar Kadenge, 10. Charles Okwemba, 15. Francis Chinjili (8. Laurent Tumba), 18. Salim Khamis, 11. Mike Baraza.

Substitutes: 19. Barnabas Tiema, 26. Robert Syongoh, 6. Nicholas Muyoti, 23. Abraham Cokie, 7. Brian Masiolo, 50, Jimmy Bageya.

The Standard had the following report

Goals from Charles Okwemba, Mike Barasa and Laurent Tumba saw KPL side AFC Leopards hammer arch rivals Gor Mahia 3-0 in a captivating local derby at the Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday.

This is the biggest margin Gor has ever lost to their rivals in history, matching their 3-0 loss to Leopards in 1983 and it certainly further dented Gor’s title bid. The final results of Sunday’s match, however, did not give the real reflection of the match as Gor had more shots on target than their opponents but Leopards could also have scored more. Leopards have now gone for seven matches without a loss and have moved to a point away off their rivals Gor with six matches to go in the KPL competition. 

Gor still remain sixth in the standings with 37 points, while Leopards are seventh with 36 points.  “I believe Gor Mahia is not yet done after suffering this loss. They played good football oday, but failed to take their chances as we capitalised on ours, however, I would like to congratulate my team for a commendable performance.

“The team has had a great improvement since we lost 3-1 to Gor on July 24, but I believe we can still do better,” said AFC Leopard’s Dutch coach Jaan Koops.

Gor Mahia’s assistant coach Cameroonian Anaba Awono who sat on the bench on Sunday in the absence of national team head coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno who watched the match on television in Mumias where he is in camp with Harambee Stars, said he was disappointed to have lost his first match in charge of the team but noted that their opponents just beat them on psychological strength. His comments come a week after fans pelted head coach Otieno with bottles after Gor surrendered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with KCB.

“Leopards were strong psychologically, but technically and physically I believe we were better. We played well but could not score, which is the most important thing, our defence was also not at it best,” said Awono. He added: “We are not going to lose hope on the title race after this defeat. I believe that if we organise ourselves well then we still stand a chance of winning the local title, because the other teams can also fumble.” Tony Onyango had Gor’s first chance in the second minute of the match but Leopard’s defender Collins Kisuya thwarted him just before he pulled the trigger inside Ingwe’s box.

Leopards responded through Oscar Kadenge in the 12th minute with a powerful strike from the edge of the box, but Gor’s custodian Jerrim Onyango showed why he was in the national team by making a smart save. Four minutes later, Kadenge turned provider, sending a left foot cross that veteran Charles Okwemba who was playing in his ninth derby, slotted in with ease after Jerry committed himself too early.

In the 37th minute, Leopard’s custodian Patrick Matasi denied Kevin Omondi with a spectacular save, tipping off a curling strike and three minutes later Moses Odhiambo shot straight at the keeper in a one on one situation as the Leopards went to half time leading 1-0 despite Gor having six shots on target.

Kenyanstar has the report

AFC Leopards were in a class of their own on Sunday afternoon putting up a superb performance to see off b itter rivals Gor Mahia 3-0 in a Kenya Premier League clash played at the Nyayo National Stadium. Charles Okwemba, Mike Barasa and substitute Laurent Tumba scored the three goals to make it a sweet revenge for Leopards after Gor blanked them 3-1 in the first leg.

Okwemba opened the scores 17 minutes on the clock when he pounced on a loose ball inside the 18 yard area and slapped the ball in past a helpless Jerim Onyango. Mike Barasa had initiated the move from midfield passing the ball on to the on form Oscar Kadenge who sneaked in a cross from the left, taking a deflection on Francis Chinjili before Okwemba slotted it inside the net.

Read more on the link

 

KPL standings

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Tusker	24	13	6	5	27	13	14	45
2	Ulinzi Stars	24	12	8	4	26	17	9	44
3	Sofapaka	24	12	6	6	33	15	18	42
4	Chemelil Sugar	24	11	7	6	27	17	10	40
5	Rangers	24	10	9	5	28	19	9	39
6	Gor Mahia	24	9	10	5	21	19	2	37
7	AFC Leopards	24	11	3	10	28	24	4	36
8	Sony Sugar	24	9	5	10	21	28	-7	32
9	Karuturi Sports	24	8	7	9	16	20	-4	31
10	Thika United	24	9	4	11	26	31	-5	31
11	Western Stima	24	8	7	9	15	21	-6	31
12	KCB	24	8	6	10	30	25	5	30
13	Mathare United	24	6	11	7	20	19	1	29
14	Congo United	24	5	5	14	17	36	-19	20
15	City Stars	24	4	7	13	16	27	-11	19
16	Bandari	24	5	3	16	17	37	-20	18