Coach Abdalla Juma sent home as resurgent Gor disarm Ulinzi, Sofapaka hit Tusker

By GILBERT WANDERA

Sacked KCB Coach Abdalla Juma reacts during a past Kenyan Premier League match. [PHOTO:BONIFACE OKENDO/STANDARD]

Last year’s coach of the year Abdalla Juma has been fired as head coach of KCB in the wake of poor results at the club.

Juma was sent home just hours after his side went down 2-1 to Bandari which was the sixth loss since the season started and the team remains winless in 2014.

It is not yet clear who will replace Juma who last year made history by helping the bankers finish in fourth position on the log in a move that earned him the coach of the year award.

Elsewhere, Kenyan Premier League (KPL) leaders Tusker finally had their un-beaten run ended in a move that has thrown wide open the title chase.

Following the loss, only Chemelil Sugar remain un-beaten with nine round of matches played so far.

The brewers had looked invincible since the season kicked off and had the ability to finish the first leg un-beaten. This would have almost guaranteed them the title.

Tusker’s run was so impressive before Sofapaka hit them 4-2 on Sunday  that in six matches, they had come from a goal down to win.

It was the kind of performance that had clearly marked out the brewers who last won the league in 2012 as  potential champions in waiting.

sofapaka third

But after the loss, Tusker still  remain at the top of the log on 18 points which is just one point more than second placed Gor Mahia. Sofapaka are third on 16 points and if it remains like this, the title chase could end up between these three sides.

For Sofapaka, it was sweet revenge against a team that locked them out of the KPL-Top 8 tournament and it has put them on track to fight for the title.

The team’s title ambition appeared shaken two weeks ago when they lost 2-1 to Nairobi City Stars which was their third defeat this season.

Sofapaka midfielder Danson Kago made history by scoring the first hat-trick of the season with a man of the match performance on Sunday. Kago’s was on the mark twice before the quarter-hour mark in a move that completely threw off Tusker’s resilience and they had no way of making a come-back.

scored double

Tusker coach Francis Kimanzi will, however, take some positives from the match after defender Lloyd Wahome scored a double. It means that the brewers have scored in every match since the season started with goals coming from different players.

Champions Gor Mahia are back on track after their title ambitions had looked doubtful following a series of poor results.

The team had earlier picked just two points out of a possible 12 in four matches but bounced to collect six points in two matches following wins against KCB and Ulinzi Stars. The win against Ulinzi Stars was particularly historical, since Gor Mahia has never beaten the soldiers at Afraha Stadium in the last five years.

Gor’s resurgence has been linked to the return of dependable defender David ‘Calabar’ Owino who scored a goal each against KCB and Ulinzi Stars.

Prior to his return, the defender had missed two matches due to injury and his absence was greatly felt as Gor leaked goals at the back. Now that he is back, the KPL champions are firmly on track to defend their title.

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