Gor overpower Nairobi Stima to keep treble chase alive

Kenya Premier League (KPL) champions Gor Mahia overpowered second-tier challengers Nairobi Stima 2-0 in a GOtv Shield Round of 32 clash on Saturday that kept their chase of the domestic treble alive.

Enock Agwanda opened the scoring in the 50th minute before Meddie Kagere came off the bench to seal the win three minutes from stoppage time.

It was a lackluster encounter that saw Gor’s coach Marcello ‘Ze Maria’ Fereira rest most of his first team players.

Leaders Tusker FC, Ulinzi Stars and Chemelil Sugar joined Bandari FC as the other KPL sides that made to the Round of 16.

At Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium; Gor’s Under 20 captain, Amos Nondi as well as debutants Crispin Odula and Anthony Mbugua were buzzing in midfield but failed to fashion quality deliveries for Agwanda to finish.

Former K’Ogalo defender Ivan Anguyo lost a glorious opportunity to punish his former employers three minutes to the break in Stima’s most promising chance having caught captain and keeper Jerim Onyango off-guard.

The KPL champions continued pressing after the break against opponents who were waiting to pounce on the counter.

The breakthrough finally came when Nondi laid a pin-point through ball to Agwanda who finished on the rebound after his initial effort was blocked by Joel Bataro.

Ze Maria then introduce Farancis Kahata and Baron Oketch for Odula and the ineffectual Jacob Keli before injury forced out Agwanda in the 80th with Kagere coming on.

Gor finally killed off the game when the two substitutes combined for the second with Kahata bringing in the delivery that was powerfully headed home by Kagere.

KPL table toppers, Tusker, hardly broke sweat with Ghanian import Stephen Owusu and Allan Wanga on target for the Brewers who thrashed Uprising 3-0 who piled their own misery by conceding an own goal in stoppage time.

Samuel Onyango and John Mark Makwatta’s goals in the fourth and 87th minutes gave Robert Matano’s charges a 2-0 win over Muhoroni Youth as they revenged their KPL Top 8 elimination by the same side.

Victor Majid, Musatafa Adebayo and John Mwita all netted for Chemelil in their 3-2 victory over Nairobi City Stars.

The Kawangware based side found their goals through Benson Iregi and Robert Ndung’u in the cup thriller.

In other matches, Modern Coast Rangers ran riot over Tiki 5-1, Agro Chemicals narrowly beat Vihiga United 1-0 as Zetech silenced Butterfly 2-0.

There are six fixtures on the cards on Sunday including the ‘Cataluhya Derby’ between Kakamega Homeboyz and AFC Leopards with the former out for retribution.

Holders Bandari progressed to the Round of 16 on Friday by edging NSL log-leaders, Nakumatt FC 2-1.