Bandari FC held to a goalless draw by Tusker FC in KPL clash

Despite creating several scoring opportunities, Bandari failed to capitalize, while Tusker missed their chance to climb to the top of the KPL table.

The match started with Bandari’s Izzadin Ramadhan testing Tusker’s defense in the sixth minute. He broke past the backline, but his shot hit the side post, keeping the score level.

Tusker responded with a series of attacks, with Erick Balecho, David Odoyo, and Ojok Deogratious all attempting to break the deadlock, but none of their efforts found the back of the net.

Bandari was forced into an early substitution in the first half after their top scorer, Beja Nyamawi, suffered an injury. Veteran striker John Mark Makwata replaced him.

Both teams went into halftime without scoring.

In the second half, Bandari’s young forward Wily Gitama, who replaced Ali Halafu at the break, squandered a golden opportunity. His shot from inside the six-yard box hit the side netting, letting Tusker off the hook.

As the match progressed, Bandari’s defense, marshaled by Dennis Ng’ang’a and Sharif Majabe, stood firm, frustrating Tusker’s attack. However, Tusker came close to stealing all three points in the dying minutes when substitute Dennis Wanjala had a clear chance but failed to convert.

After the final whistle, Tusker FC head coach Charles Okere expressed satisfaction with the away point, despite aiming for all three.

"I thank God for the one point. Bandari is a strong team; they were calm and tried to find penetrative passes, but we remained solid. We had our moments, but unfortunately, our strikers couldn’t capitalize on the chances we created," Okere said.

Bandari head coach Ken Odhiambo reflected on his team’s missed opportunities, admitting they should have been more clinical.

"We lost two points today. We had clear chances that should have been converted. We need to be more clinical, but I’m happy with the effort our players put in—they gave everything and fought as a team," Odhiambo said.

Following the draw, Tusker FC remained second in the KPL table with 41 points, level with league leaders Police FC, while Bandari FC dropped to eighth place with 33 points.