AFC new coach Juma fail to stop Kariobangi at Afraha as Sssimba cries foul after loss.
Claims of match-fixing in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) resurfaced after Sofapaka suffered a 2-1 defeat to newcomers Nakumatt, at Ruaraka Grounds on Saturday.
It was also a day that saw high flying Kariobangi Sharks give Tom Juma a rude welcome to AFC Leopards after skinning Ingwe 2-0 in Nakuru as Muhoroni Youth saw off Western Stima 2-1 at Moi Stadium, Kisumu.
At Afraha, Leopards who have not had the best of seasons found the going tough against the fleet-footed Sharks players who on their last outing in the KPL held champions Tusker to a barren draw in Machakos.
Former Nairobi City Stars striker Ebrimmah Sanneh put Sharks ahead in the 51st minute before Mathew Odongo put the game beyond Leopards with a strike in the 82nd minute via a free kick.
At Ruaraka, Ugandan import Robert Omunuk scored a goal on either half to extend Nakumatt’s unbeaten run to seven games.
The former Tusker man cancelled out Ezekiel Okare’s opener on the stroke of halftime before scoring the match winner midway through the second half.
However, it is comments from a visibly disappointed Sofapaka coach Sam Ssimbwa accusing the referees of coming into the game with a fixed mind, that left many football fans amazed.
It is the referee’s decision to disallow Feni Ali’s goal two minutes into the second half in particular that made Ssimbwa make his match-fixing accusations against the referees for the second time since rejoining Batoto Ba Mungu.
Ali had pounced onto Rogers Aloro’s rebound from a free-kick only for the centre referee to rule it out for offside.
“We scored a genuine goal from a rebound but the referee denied us, they (Nakumatt) scored an offside goal and he gave them. He went on to deny us two clear penalties. If I lose even five games genuinely, I will not complain, but today the referees came with a fixed mind as if they had put a bet,” Ssimbwa said.
“There is no way we could have won this game against 13 players. It is because of this kind of officiating that makes Kenyan football not to progress.”
Okare put Sofapaka ahead when he headed home Wesley Onguso’s long throw ball before goalkeeper Sammy Okinda came off his line to intercept Timothy Luda’s cross.