Wanyonyi returns to haunt Ingwe as Gor Mahia beat Vihiga

AFC Leopards Jaffari Owiti reacts after missing a goal target in their match against Mt Kenya FC that ended 1-1 at Machakos Stadium on Wednesday Feb 6, 2019. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards registered contrasting results in yesterday’s Sportpesa Premier League matches ahead of this weekend’s Mashemeji derby at Kasarani Stadium.

Gor closed the gap on league leaders Mathare United to five points (24) after narrow 1-0 victory over Vihiga United in Kakamega as Timonah Wanyonyi returned to haunt his former club, scoring the winner as Mount Kenya clawed AFC 2-1 at Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos.

Nicholas Kipkirui’s first half strike is all that the 17-time league champions needed to chalk up their sixth win in the league this season.

But it was a rude welcome for Rwandese coach Andrew Casa Mbungo, who was making his debut as AFC coach after replacing his Serbian counterpart Marko Vasiljevic on Tuesday.

“This is not the type of performance I expected on my first match.

“But that’s football. We were punished on our own mistakes both at the back and in front.

This result wasn’t a true reflection of the game. We are now switching our focus to the derby,” said Mbungo.

Peter Amani broke the deadlock with a fine free header from Moses Odhiambo’s long range free kick on the quarter hour mark before Abdallah Salim cancelled it out twenty minutes later.

This was Amani’s third goal in two matches after scoring a brace in their 2-1 win over league leaders Mathare United.

In Kakamega, Kipkirui goal before half time was enough to hand head coach Hassan Oktay his sixth win of the season after registering poor results earlier in the season.

Kipkirui’s goal in his second successive start for K’Ogalo repaid his coach’s trust after netting the third goal in Gor’s 4-2 weekend win over Egyptian side Zamalek.

Oktay benched his talisman Jacques Tuyisenge and Dennis Oliech handing Kenneth Muguna and Kipkirui a start.

In Kisumu, Western Stima bounced back to winning ways with a 1-0 win over Zoo with John Mwita scoring.