• Matano was ecstatic after the brewers defeated Posta Rangers 1-0 at Moi Stadium, Kasarani Annex on Sunday to revive their chances of winning a second straight top-flight championship.
• Elsewhere, KCB’s bid for a first championship was severely damaged by a 1-0 loss to AFC Leopards at Moi Stadium, Kasarani.
Image: FILE
Tusker head coach, Robert Matano, has urged his players to train their sights on the title as the Kenyan Premier League enters a crucial phase.
Matano was ecstatic after the brewers defeated Posta Rangers 1-0 at Moi Stadium, Kasarani Annex on Sunday to revive their chances of winning a second straight top-flight championship.
Shami Mwinyi grabbed his third goal of the season from the spot after teammate Eric Mmata was fouled in the danger zone.
“We have a good team that can win matches consecutively if the officiating is fair enough. I’m happy we displayed a brilliant game this afternoon and the players, undoubtedly, deserve a pat on the back for fighting gallantly to secure maximum points from this game,” said Matano.
Yet, the seasoned gaffer encouraged his men to push themselves harder in their upcoming match, warning that competition was going to get stiffer every day.
“As the defending champions, everyone is vying for a piece of us, so if we wish to retain our title, it’s only vital to push ourselves above and beyond in each of our remaining matches,” Matano stated.
Rangers’ head coach John Kamau said they lost to a superior opponent but berated his players for failing to take advantage of obvious opportunities they had generated during the game.
“We had a chance to leave this game with at least a point, but we lacked precision in front of goal,” said Kamau.
The narrow margin of victory belied the rush of opportunities both teams missed in each half, with Tusker being the biggest offender.
The outcome has the defending champions fourth on the log with 31 points, six adrift of leaders Gor Mahia. The mailmen are eighth with 19.
Elsewhere, KCB’s bid for a first championship was severely damaged by a 1-0 loss to AFC Leopards at Moi Stadium, Kasarani.
Offensive midfielder Jaffery Owiti seized a fantastic opportunity to score the game-winning goal for Ingwe in the 47th minute.
Leopards head coach Patrick Aussems praised his squad for pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the year.
Aussems noted: “We have a young team and it is pretty encouraging to capture wins from a good side like KCB.”
Leopards have climbed to fifth with 29 points while KCB remain third with 33 points, same as second-placed Nzoia, who have a better goal difference.