Dockers sink brave Sofapaka, coach Odhiambo raises concerns on quality of balls

Bandari secured a 1-0 victory against Sofapaka in a Kenyan Premier League (KPL) match on today at Mbaraki Sports Club, Mombasa.

The lone goal came in the final moments of the first half, scored by Alfred Emoni.

Bandari controlled the opening 45 minutes, with William Gitama and Alfred Emoni both missing clear chances to open the scoring.

However, the home team faced an early setback when William Wadri was forced off the pitch due to injury, with top scorer Beja Nyamawi coming on to replace him.

Bandari finally broke the deadlock five minutes before halftime. Alfred Tanui latched onto a cross from William Gitama, tapping the ball into the net after Sofapaka goalkeeper Evans Omondi saved Gitama’s initial shot. Sofaka went to the breather trailing 1-0.

In the second half, Sofapaka made immediate changes, bringing on Bramwel Simiyu and Rodgers Kipkemoi in an attempt to relieve the mounting pressure from Bandari FC.

In the 60th minute, Sofapaka came close to equalizing when Izzadin Juma's 20-yard free kick was brilliantly saved by Evans Omondi, resulting in a corner kick that kept their hopes alive.

With five minutes left on the clock, Sofapaka captain Baron Ochieng nearly found the equalizer, his free-kick hitting the crossbar before going out for a corner.

Bandari FC head coach Ken Odhiambo expressed frustration over the quality of match balls used by Sofapaka, urging the federation to take greater care with basic elements of the game.

"You can’t bring supermarket balls to a KPL match," Odhiambo said.

"If we want to improve our league, we must ensure quality size-5 balls. The federation needs to step up in areas like match balls and playing grounds."

He also expressed concern over injuries, highlighting that Sofapaka’s play had led to multiple injuries on his side.

 "It can’t be the same team injuring our players. First, it was captain Juma in the first leg, now Wadri, and there’s no card shown to any of their players. The Federation should be more vigilant on this," he added.

Sofapaka head coach Ezekiel Akwana also shared his disappointment with the result, acknowledging that his team had the opportunity to secure a win.

"We started poorly but improved in the second half. We didn't create enough chances, and while the referee wasn't on our side, we’re focusing on the next match," he said.