Visiting AFC Leopards snatched all points from Nairobi City Stars after registering a 1-0 win during a 12th round FKF Premier League tie played in Nyayo Stadium on Wednesday 5 January 2022.
A Maxwell Otieno goal three minutes after the restart proved the difference in the game of very few chances.
Five minutes into the game, Nairobi City Stars could have been 1-0 up when Nicholas Kipkirui broke into the box from the left and outwitted his markers, then rounded keeper Levis Opiyo only to fire wide.
Kipkirui was at it in the 20th minute but his shot on target was contained by keeper Opiyo as he punched the danger back in play.
Six minutes later Washington Munene floated a freekick into the City Stars box only for stopper Kenedy Vidic Onyango to clear out the danger.
Two minutes later Vidic was on the other end of the pitch to connect to a Dennis Decha Wanjala cross but his shot for the near post went wide.
Within a span of four minutes, Munene had another freekick attempt that went straight to City Stars keeper Jacob Osano as the home team had one of their own by skipper Anthony Muki Kimani end up on the opposite keeper Opiyo.
In between the two dead balls, City Stars stopper Onyango was slapped with a yellow card for a challenge on Leopards forward Oluniyi.
With seven minutes left to the breather, Osano pulled a major save as he parried away a hard drive from an unmarked Olaniyi atop the box.
In the last few minutes to halftime, Kipkirui was slapped with a yellow card for a high challenge on a Leopards defender. A minute later he fired out a pass from Ezekiel Odera.
A wayward lob on goal by City Stars right-back Kevin Chumsy Okumu, and a wasted corner by Leopards, closed the first stanza.
Minutes into the second half, a floated ball from the left by Munene into the box found Mukangula who presented a layup for an unmarked Maxwell to fire home what turned out to be the only goal of the game.
Eight minutes later, Maxwell sneaked behind stopper Edwin Buliba on the right only to register a near-miss as his shot ricocheted off the crossbar and back in play.
In between his goal and his second attempt, Leopards had forced two corners that City Stars did well to clear.
In the 57th minute City Stars had the dead ball call off the box but Muki fired it wide.
As the clock struck the hour mark, Leopards brought in Peter Ng’ang’a for Eugene Mukangula and two minutes later City Stars responded with the arrival of Oliver Maloba and Davis Agesa for Timothy Babu Ouma and Rodgers Okuse Okumu, respectively.
The next ten minutes saw either side waste a freekick each, as Leopards skipper Marvin Omondi entered the referee’s book after some shirt tagging on a City Stars player.
On 73 minutes, City Stars forced a corner that yielded two other successive ones, but all could not deliver an equalizer.
Leopards were to throw away a corner of their own four minutes later as they invited Saad Musa into play for Olaniyi who took a rest.
In the 84th minute, Saad could have doubled matters when Leopards built a counter-attack but just before he could pull the trigger, a cross covering Sven Yidah and Buliba mugged the ball off him to arrest the danger.
The rest of the minutes saw City Stars seek the elusive leveler but all efforts, including a freekick from Herit Mungai who came for left-back Wanjala, failed to disturb Leopards.
The game was to end with Leopards collecting their fifth win from eleven games hosted by Nairobi City Stars.
Despite the loss, Simba wa Nairobi maintained the fifth spot in the 18-team log with 20 points from 12 games as Ingwe rose by a position to settle at 13th spot with as many points.
Next up for City Stars is an away game to promoted FC Talanta at Kasarani Annex on Saturday 8 January 2022 starting at 3 pm.
Lineups
Nairobi City Stars: 16. Jacob Osano, 19. Kevin Okumu, 12. Edwin Buliba, 25. Kenedy Onyango, 26. Dennis Wanjala (28. Herit Mungai-84), 18. Sven Yidah 30. Anthony Kimani-Captain, 20. Timothy Noor Ouma (21. Oliver Maloba-60), 32. Ezekiel Odera, 7. Rodgers Okumu (11. Davis Agesa-60), 17. Nicholas Kipkirui (15. John Kamau-86)
Unused subs: 23. Stephen Njunge (GK), 8. Calvin Masawa, 5. Michael Madoya, 4. Salim Abdalla, 3. Charles Otieno
Out: 22. Wycliffe Otieno, 6. Ronney Kola (all injured), 24. Erick Ombija, 1. Elvis Ochoro, 29. Ebrima Sanneh, 2. Elvis Noor Ojiambo, 9. Vincent Otieno Okoth, 27. Lennox Ogutu, 14. Rowland Makati, 10. Peter Opiyo
Coach: Nicholas Muyoti
AFC Leopards: 32. Levis Opiyo, 22. Collins Shivachi, 3. Washington Munene, 4. Joachim Oluoch, 21. Daniel Musamali, 8. Brian Wanyama, 26. Marvin Omondi – Captain, 14. Ojo Olaniyi (40. Saad Musa-78), 29. Maxwell Otieno, 19. Eugene Mukangula (Peter Ng’ang’a-60)
Unused subs: Maxwell Mulili, Robert Mudenyu, Eric Mbithi, Giovanni Lukhumwa, Dan Sunguti, Mboya, Zachary Njite
Coach: Patrick Aussems
Yellow cards
Nairobi City Stars: 25. Kenedy Onyango (30), 17. Nicholas Kipkirui (38)
AFC Leopards: 26. Marvin Omondi (70)
Goals: 29.Maxwell Otieno (48)
