Sofapaka secure vital win in play-off

Naivas FC started the game well but had nothing to show at the end of the first half despite their good performance.

The first half of the showdown ended in a goalless draw with both teams rueing missed chances.

Sofapaka started the second half on a high note but their striker Darius Msagha was forced off with an injury just a few minutes into the game and was replaced by Jacob Onyango.

Naivas midfielder Brian Ouru was also substituted in the 70th minute after sustaining an injury.

In the 89th minute, the substitute, Jacob Onyango's  shot from the centre of the box struck the inside of the post and into the back of the net to put his team ahead.

With four minutes added to the regular 90, Naivas tried to find an equalizing goal but their efforts were in vain with the game ending 0-1 at the final whistle.

Sofapaka assistant coach Ezekiel Akwana believes his team is going to stay in the top-tier next season as things are already going according to their plan.

"The plan was to get a draw in this match but I got a win. The next match I don't need to win, I just need to get a draw," said Akwana.

Naivas head coach Collins Omondi noted that his team wasted a lot of chances but asserted they were going to work on it.

"We created plenty of chances but failed to score. We are going to work on our mistakes and improve because our main problem today was scoring goals," Omondi said.

The stage is set for a thrilling return leg on July 14 at Dandora Stadium, where Naivas will seek redemption and Sofapaka will aim to secure their top-tier status for the next season.