TOP 8 AFC's Eugine Ambulwa, left, and Abdalah Hamisi of Ulinzi during Top eight knockout match at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday May 1, 2016.[ PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

Enos Ochieng came off the bench to score the winning goal as Ulinzi Stars beat AFC Leopards 3-2 in a highly charged second quarterfinal match of the Kenyan Premier League Top 8 Knockout Tournament at the Nyayo National Stadium, yesterday.

“How can a one-two be an off side? Diallo was coming from behind. I think some of these referees need to go back to school,” fumed a disappointed AFC coach Ivan Minnaert while speaking of Laminne Diallo’s disallowed equaliser.

“Of course we shouldn’t have been naive to leave the ball to them but if my players fight back for everything and teams win like this in a stupid manner, we cannot be happy. For me and my team we are finished, no fair play anymore.”

Ulinzi broke the deadlock after only six minutes when John Makwatta capitalised on AFC Leopards’ defensive blunder to slot the ball into an empty net. However, Clifton Miheso struck twice to give Leopards a 2-1 lead. Mark Bikokwa then pulled Ulinzi level before Ochieng struck the winner. AFC Leopards will feel hard done by Bikokwa’s goal as the soldier struck from a drop ball instead of fair play.

For full story go to: www.standardmedia.co.ke

Hedmond Mauda could have drawn level in the tenth minute but his deflected shot was saved by Ulinzi goalkeeper James Saruni before Kepha Aswani’s glancing header went wide. Clifton Miheso then saw his header also go wide.

AFC goalkeeper Lucas Indeche pulled off a fine save from Mark Bikokwa’s 35th minute attempt before Geoffrey Kokoyo’s shot missed target by inches.

Five minute later, Kokoyo denied Aswani an equaliser from a close range before AFC made an early substitution with Tom Murilla paving way for Laminne Diallo.

In the 53rd minute, Miheso drew level with a spectacular drive at the edge of the box before the former Sofapaka winger doubled the lead with a perfectly curled in 20-yard free-kick.

Indeche then came to AFC rescue making a fantastic save to deny Kevin Amwayi an equaliser. In the 73rd minute, Aswani could have extended the lead for AFC but his goal was ruled offside.

Five minutes later, Makwatta unleashed a powerful shot to draw level before substitute Enos Ochieng score the winning goal from a drop ball before Diallo’s goal was ruled ‘offside’.

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