By Gilbert Wandera
All the big boys won their matches as the President’s Cup kicked off yesterday.
Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions Tusker and Sofapaka were the biggest winners with the former crushing Keroka 4-0 while the latter hit Ulinzi Stars 3-0.
Goals from Eugine Asike, John Njoroge and Humphrey Mieno saw off Ulinzi Stars at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
Tusker were lifted by goals from Obadiah Ndege, who scored a brace with Kenneth Wendo and David Nyanzi scoring one goal each.
League leaders AFC Leopards eliminated Mathare United 2-0 at Nyayo Stadium in another match played in the city to sail to the pre-quarters.
Strikers Jimmy Bageya and Allan Wanga scored a goal each for Leopards in the second half of a match that had looked set to end in a barren draw.
Bageya scored the opener with a fierce shot from a tight angle in the 52nd minute after Wanga’s attempt was foiled by Mathare’s United’s custodian Martin Musalia.
Musalia will blame his defenders for failing to clear the initial shot from Wanga which he had successfully kept away from his goal allowing an advancing Bageya to pounce on the rebound.
Neat pass
Mathare defenders will also take the flak for allowing Wanga through to score the second goal in the 72nd minute. They watched as Mike Baraza laid a neat pass for the adventurous Wanga, who easily beat Musalia in goal with a low shot.
The match had began on a slow note with neither side showing the real intent of going for an early goal. It was only after twenty minutes that the match began to show some life with Leopards the hungrier side, but they still could not penetrate their opponents defence with the first half remaining scoreless.
