Bottom of the table sofapaka fc got three precious points at the expense of Kenya police in the Kenya premier league match played at the Kenyatta stadium in Machakos.
It was the first premier league action being staged at the stadium in over two years after the football governing body in the country banned it for a poor playing surface.
A 35th minute lone goal by khalid Jumaan was enough to give Sofapaka their maiden win in this season’s campaign.
Kenya police will feel undone by this loss. Sitting at 6th position heading into the clash, and going up against bottom placed sofapaka, anything short of a win wasn’t going to be flattery.
Coach logarusic started with a strong line up, consisting mostly of Kenyan internationals and a south Sudan international.
Of the starting eleven only the attacking duo of Clifton Kinanga and David Okoth together with Barrack Badi have not gotten national team call ups.
With this kind of arsenal, the sizable police fans in attendance couldn’t believe their team’s hard luck as the final whistle went.
After a lacklustre first half performance by police, coach logarusic would make a triple substitution at the half time break. Trusting and puting his hopes on youth bringing in Charles Ouma for Baraka Badi, David owino for Aboud Omar and David simiyu in place of David okoth
The changes brought about a much needed fluidity with Charles ouma marshaling the midfield with much needed agility and versatility and David Owino ever enterprising runs on the left posing constant threats to the Batoto ba Mungu’s backline
Police got their best chance of the match in the 55th minute, as a half cleared ball fell kindly on the feet of Kenneth Muguna in the six yard box, but the former Azam attacker saw his effort blaze over the bar to the dismay of police fans.
With police resulting to long balls in the final stages of the match, Sofapaka was forced to lay back and soak the pressure. A thing they did to perfection to the final whistle.
The win sees sofa break their duck in this seasons campaign, and coach Ezekiel Akwana wouldn’t be more hopeful that this would be the beginning of the much needed change in their fortunes.
For police and birthday boy coach Logarusic, it’s back to the drawing board. They have six days to figure out where they went wrong in this encounter.
Next up is a hard nut in the shape of ken Kenyatta’s Talanta fc who beat league leaders posta Rangers, 2-1. This being posta’s first loss of the season.
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