Proudest moment: Standard Group emerge winners of StanChart Bank ‘Road to Anfield’ tourney

By ERICK OCHIENG’

Standard Group team hold trophy as they celebrate winning StanChart Bank ‘Road to Anfield’ tournament as the bank CEO Lamin Majang claps at the Monetary School yesterday. [PHOTOS: ERICK OCHIENG’/ STANDARD]

  The Standard Group are the winners of the second edition of the Standard Chartered Bank Road to Anfield football tournament held in Nairobi at the weekend.

The win has granted the Standard Group a final slot to the United Kingdom where they will be flown to play in a global championship involving 13 nations at the Liverpool’s Anfield ground in May.

The Standard Group that beat 32 other contestants to the diadem, won the highly contested and volatile final against the Standard Chartered Bank’s Oh Yes 1-0 at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies.

Standard Group’s Rodgers Eshitemi emerged tournament top scorer with ten goals, while Oh Yes captain Andrew Rukangu bagged the Most Valuable Player award.

Morris Ochieng Osir put the winners ahead in the seventh minute with a rasping shot that blasted past Oh Yes custodian.

The match was balanced in the first half of the 5-aside tournament final, with Osir grabbing a free throw from Oliver Omondi, who stood strong in the winners goal mouth, to notch the all important goal.

On their way to the final, the Standard Group drew 1-1 against Chekers Mates, and then went ahead to win 1-0 against Tirads and 4-1 against Thunder in the group stages.

Round of 16 was a tricky affair as the Standard Group came from a 1-0 trail to win 3-1 against Crocs. A do-or-die battle ensued in the quarter-final encounter against the Nation Media group that proceeded to a penalty shootout, and the Standard Group won 4-3. They went ahead to win the semis against Chingwe 2-1.

Team captain Erick Oyugi said it was a deserved victory following all the challenges the winners went through to be crowned champions.

While savouring the victory, Team Manager Robin Toskin said the win was as a result of hard work and commitment to practice.

“Besides the contest, the team will also engage in various tours and high profile trainings in their stay in England,” Bank CEO Lamin Manjang said.

The contest involved 32 teams, 25 from the bank’s staff members and seven teams from the Kenyan mainstream media houses.

Standard Group torch beares at the tournament were captain Oyugi, Titus Muoki, Oliver Omondi, Morris Ochieng, Michael Odhiambo, Bismarck Mutahi and Eshitemi.