•The tactician was over the moon after his charges trounced Uasin Gishu 2-1 in a Pool D thriller at Kasarani Annex on Tuesday to move to the top of the log.
•Makueni’s sweet victory over Uasin Gishu came hot on the heels of another masterclass act, where they recklessly ran over Kiambu in their opening group encounter.
Image: HANDOUT
Makueni County boys’ team head coach Alex Kasyoki reckons they are just a step away from sealing a quarterfinal berth after cracking back-to-back wins at the ongoing Talanta Hela Under-19 football tournament.
The tactician was over the moon after his charges trounced Uasin Gishu 2-1 in a Pool D thriller at Kasarani Annex on Tuesday to move to the top of the log.
The triumph handed Makueni an edge over their group rivals in the heated race for the coveted quarterfinal slots.
“Today’s win is a very big encouragement to us because it gives us a good chance of qualifying for the quarterfinals,” Kasyoki remarked.
“It was a good game but one of two halves. In the first half, we played very well, took the lead, equalised, and scored again,” he added.
The youthful gaffer tipped his talent-laden squad to cruise past their last group opponents, Nakuru, even as they firmly continue to train their sights on the next stage of the cutthroat competition.
“We have a game against Nakuru on Wednesday at 3 pm, our last match of the group.
Makueni’s sweet victory over Uasin Gishu came hot on the heels of another masterclass act, where they recklessly ran over Kiambu in their opening group encounter.
“We played a good match on Monday against Kiambu which we won 3-1. It was a big boost to the boys and their morale was high leading to our game against Uasin Gishu. So far, so good. We’re doing well,” Kasyoki concluded.
Kasyoki’s opposite number Fred Owino castigated the match officials for making contentious calls that ruined the game.
“According to me, the game has not ended. We got a clear penalty inside the area but the referee waved the play on. We also scored a goal and the referee confirmed by running to the centre. However, the match commissioner called him and reversed the decision,” Owino remarked.
“Where on earth, even in the English Premier League, have you seen the match comm calling the referee and reversing a decision he has made?” he posed.
Owino said they have already appealed to have the fixture repeated. “This game is important to us because if it ends this way then we are out of the tournament. My first match ended 1-1 against Nakuru on Monday.
In the other match staged at the same venue, Bonface Nyabuto's goal in the dying minutes of the game was enough to hand Nakuru a crucial win against Kiambu.
Nakuru head coach Peter Wekesa believes they have a foot in the quarterfinals after wringing out maximum points in the vicious clash where both teams squandered a flurry of opportunities.
"First we thank God for the win. The boys have given a good fight and we are proud of them," Wekesa remarked.
Wekesa reckons a win in their last encounter against Makueni could leave them atop the log. "We are now focusing on our next match against Makueni who have already won two matches. This is a must-win encounter.