• The hosts were pushed on the back foot and another wave of attack saw Wanyika called into action stopping Melo Dos Santos’s shot from the right.
Image: /FILE
Bandari FC beat Tunisia’s US Ben Guerdane 2-0 in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup first-round tie at the Moi International sports center Kasarani Stadium in on Saturday courtesy of two late goals from Yema Mwana and Abdallah Hassan.
The result leaves the Dockers 90 minutes away from a maiden second round ticket, with a draw enough in the Tunis return leg in a fortnight.
Bandari head coach Bernard Mwalala says he was pleased with the result but insists the work is halfway done and have to work on avoiding defeat away in Tunis which has never been a good hunting ground for Kenyan sides.
“We are just done with the first half and we have 90 more minutes to play away, discipline will see us through and we have to work on that” said Mwalala.
Mwalala’s side who had not scored a goal in open play in the last five matches were headed for another stalemate but Congolese import Mwana opened the scores with a 73rd minute, before Abdalla Hassan doubled the advantage five minutes later with another header
The first half was dull ending 0-0 with Bandari doing most of the attack as the visitors sat back and defending deep.
Guerdane burst into life in the 5th minute but Bandari keeper Michael Wanyika thwarted Khaled Yahia’s shot from close range.
The hosts were pushed on the back foot and another wave of attack saw Wanyika called into action stopping Melo Dos Santos’s shot from the right.
Skipper Felly Mulumba’s header went agonizingly close from Nicholas Meja’s 17th-minute free-kick, to serve as a warning to the visitors.
The match was equally balanced with both sides playing safe but another run from Abdalla Hassan saw his cross cleared by the Tunisian’s rare guard.
Bandari gained momentum but could not break the visitor’s with Collins Agade’s wide headed from William Wadri’s corner, followed by Danson Chetambe’s thunderbolt stopped by US Ben Guerdane keeper Saber Ben Salah summarized the first half.
Danson Chetambe was pulled off for Shaban Kenga, and Benjamin Mosha replaced by Cliff Kasuti just before the hour mark in quick succession saw the hosts get and edge over Guerdane.
The see-saw affair burst into life when Yema Mwana rose the highest header Abdalla Hassan’s corner from the left in the 73rd minute.
Bandari buoyed by the handful cheering fans almost made doubled their advantage immediately but a quick one-two between Wadri and Hassan was cut off by the Tunisian defense with Yema Mwana lurking on the right.
The visitors tried to slow down the game with time-wasting tactics but they were caught off guard with a replica of the opening goal in the 79th minute after Wadri’s pinpoint free-kick was headed home by Abdalla to send the stadium into crescendo, what proved a sucker punch.