Katana nets winner as Bandari beat hard-fighting Zoo

Bandari edged Kericho Zoo in their latest meeting in the Kenya Premier League [Courtesy]

Mohamed Katana Agege rescued Bandari from the zoo cage a last gasp winning goal as the dockers fought back from two goals down to beat Zoo Kericho 3-2 in a Kenyan Premier League match in Mombasa.

Collins Neto gave Zoo Kericho a 2-0 lead before Bandari replied through Danson Namasaka, Yema Mwana and Agege.

Neto opened scores with a superbly placed the ball over advancing Burundian goalkeeper Justin Ndikumana after 15 minutes.

Ndikumana, who signed from Sofapaka endured a nightmarish 20 minutes of his Bandari tenure as Neto returned four minutes after his first goal to put Zoo Kericho two goals to the good.

Neto had steered Zoo Kericho to a 3-1 win over Chemelil Sugar in their first game of the season and his pace at Mbaraki Stadium temporarily silenced drum-beating Bandari

Bandari, however, did not take it lying down with new signing Namasaka and Mwana terrorising Zoo’s defence.

The hosts’ coach Bernard Mwalala abandoned his hot seat to prowl the touchline, a move Bandari players took as a cue to attack.

Striker Mwana tried a pot-shot from long range on the half-hour but without finding the target.

The dockers, who had a lunch treat with the Kenya Ports Authority Managing Director Daniel Manduku before the match came back breathing fire in the second stanza and within a span of three minutes, they had scored two quick goals to level the tally.

Namasaka blasted home a minute after restart to spark Bandari’s fightback.

Two minutes later Bandari were back to level terms via their goal-scoring machine Mwana.

And suddenly Mbaraki Sports Club became more noisy with Zoo players retreating to the shipyard to defend their two goals. Mwana and Shaban Kenga had other ideas they bombarded them with powerful shots at will. Bandari completed their fightback in the 80th minute when Katana curled home from a corner kick.