An 87th-minute goal by substitute Oliver Maloba, off a sure pass from Timothy Babu Ouma, handed Nairobi City Stars a 1-0 win over home team Tusker FC in Ruaraka on Sunday 16 January 2022.
The latest result, coupled with others, sees Simba wa Nairobi shoot to the second spot with 16 points stretching away from Tusker who remains 13th with 16 points.
It was Maloba’s first goal of the season, and it earned City Stars their second straight win while visiting Tusker in six months at the same venue.
He had only been on the pitch for 12 minutes after taking up the place of out-and-out striker Ezekiel Odera.
The game started on a high and City Stars, parading an unchanged lineup from the one that hit FC Talanta 2-1 in the last game, could have been up with a goal as early as the third minute had Odera, scorer of the lone and winning goal against Tusker in late July 2021, burst into the box and chose to make one more step before shooting allowing stopper Christopher Oruchum to clear the ball.
Five minutes later Tusker won a freekick on the left but eventually wasted it. It took a whole of six minutes to take the dead ball after an incident in the box left City Stars stopper, Salim Shitu Abdalla, on the ground. He received a heavy bandage on his head.
Tusker had a chance to take the lead a minute after the quarter-hour mark but a shot from outside the box by John Njuguna rattled the crossbar and straight to the arms of City Stars keeper Jacob Osano who went on to register a seventh clean sheet in 13 games.
The 20th minute, bubbly Timothy Ouma broke into the box to receive a perfect John Kamau cross. But as was the case with Odera earlier, he took a little too long to pull the trigger allowing Tusker to force a fruitless corner.
Within seven minutes after the half-hour mark, Kamau, a former Tusker winger, had sent a freekick right to keeper Brian Bwire as Babu’s attempted long-range chip fell shot. On the other end, Tusker’s foreign forwards Deograetius Ojok and Ibrahim Joshua had shots that Osano contained well to keep City Stars in the game. Ojok’s follow-up freekick earned a corner that bore no fruits.
In the 40th minute, City Stars left-back Dennis Wanjala saw his freekick, earned by Peter Pinchez Opiyo, clip the upright.
The rest of the minutes before the breather saw Pinchez waste a freekick as Babu’s cross for Kamau ended with Bwire before he fired an Odera cross at the side netting.
At the start of the second half Tusker brought in Shami Kibwana for Ojok and within the next few seconds, they had a freekick that only rolled out for a freekick.
Within the next seven minutes Sven Yidah, with a man of the match performance all through, attempted a shot on goal off a freekick from skipper Anthony Kimani. It was bundled back in play. On the other end, Shami’s cross arrived in the box but Ibrahim failed to connect to it.
A minute after the hour mark, Shitu went into Davies Omweno’s book due to a high boot clearance. Tusker however could not get the most of the awarded freekick.
In the 70th minute Erick Ombija took up Kamau’s place and five minutes later he was joined by game hero Maloba who was accompanied by Tusker pair of Clyde Senaji and Stewart Omondi who replaced Humphrey Mieno and Lawrence Luvanda, respectively.
In between Ombija’s arrival and the follow-up three subs, Sven had given a dangerous freekick at the edge of the box but as had been the case in the game, Tusker wasted it despite the good range.
Tusker was awarded a corner in the 76th minute but wasted it and in the next minute had Rodgers Ouma carded for a foul on Babu.
As the clock struck 80 minutes, Babu and Maloba combined well in the Tusker box only for the latter to miscue the ball marginally wide.
That combination had a different effect six minutes later when Babu picked out a dashing Maloba who bundled the ball home past Bwire for the winner.
Just before the goal, Muki gave way for winger Davis Agesa.
The game was to end with one last corner for Tusker who were hosting City Stars for the 13th time since the year 2003.
Lineups
Tusker: 1. Brian Bwire, 12. Isaac Kipyegon, 40. Eugene Asike-captain, 6. Christopher Oruchum, 24. Daniel Sakari, 30. Humphrey Mieno (5. Clyde Senaji-74), 26. John Njuguna, 23. Rogers Ouma, 11. Lawrence Luvanda (18. Stewart Omodi-74), 13. Deograetius Ojok (28. Shami Kibwana-46), 17. Ibrahim Joshua
Unused subs: 29. Michael Wanjala, 22. Kevin Monyi, 27. Charles Momanyi, 4. Apollo Otieo, 8. Wellington Ochieng, 7. Eric Zakayo,
Coach: Robert Matano
Nairobi City Stars: 16. Jacob Osano, 19. Kevin Okumu, 12. Edwin Buliba, 26. Dennis Wanjala, 18. Sven Yidah, 10. Peter Opiyo, 30. Anthony Kimani-Captain (11. Davis Agesa-86,), 20. Timothy Noor Ouma, 15. John Kamau (24. Erick Ombija-70), 32. Ezekiel Odera (21. Oliver Maloba-74),
Unused subs: 1. Elvis Ochoro (GK), 8. Calvin Masawa, 5. Michael Madoya, 4. Salim Abdalla, 27. Lennox Ogutu, 3. Charles Otieno
Out: 22. Wycliffe Otieno, 6. Ronney Kola (all injured), 23. Stephen Njunge (GK), 29. Ebrima Sanneh, 2. Elvis Noor Ojiambo, 9. Vincent Otieno Okoth, 14. Rowland Makati, 25. Kenedy Onyango, 17. Nicholas Kipkirui, 28. Herit Mungai
Coach: Nicholas Muyoti
Yellow cards
Tusker: 23. Rodgers Ouma (77)
Nairobi City Stars: 4. Salim Abdalla (61)
Goal: 21. Oliver Maloba – City Stars (87)
Man of the moment Oliver Maloba with fans after his goal secured a 1-0 win over Tusker in Ruaraka on Sun 16 Jan 2022
