Kariobangi Sharks sailed through to quarters after edging Murang’a Seals 1-0 in the SportPesa Shield Cup round of 16 match played yesterday at the Camp Toyoyo grounds.
Murang’a were angling at eliminating the defending champions and seal a place in the quarterfinals of the tournament but Erick Kapaito’s second-half goal cut short their dream—a result which Murang’a coach David Mahira attributed to stage fright. He said the loss was largely contributed by too much respect for their opponents.
“We played well but stage fright was rife in my players and at some point we dipped and collapsed. We had a good first half but we were overwhelmed in the second half due to fatigue but I am glad we managed to hold them for long and also created chances.”
Mahira, however, observed that experience drawn from accosting a team of Sharks calibre will aid his side in their quest to gain promotion to the National Super League. The team currently tops the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Division One Zone ‘A’ table.
“It was good exposure for my players and the experience gained from this match will be of great significance in our bid to join the NSL. We are already out and we have shifted our focus on our remaining league matches.”
Meanwhile, Kariobangi Sharks' assistant coach Collins Omondi noted that a change of tact at halftime where they introduced George Abege to partner with Kapaito up front helped break Murang’a’s watertight defence.
Abege rested James Mazembe three minutes after restart and his inclusion in the game brought more impetus in the striking force, thanks to his aerial and shooting prowess.
The Ugandan forward tested Murang’a’s shot-stopper William Ngamau severally but it was Kapaito who got the much sought after goal in the 56th minute when he headed Duke Abuya’s long-range pass to lift Sharks into the quarters.
Omondi said: “They came to defend and push the game to post-match penalties but we had to ring changes and tact at half-time. We had to bring in Abege to add more power up-front and give their defenders more pressure and I am glad it worked. It was a tough game since they had ten players behind the ball and the pitch also worked against our plan.”
