Rains mar Bandari and Sharks Shield encounter

SS Assad’s Athman Bori (left) is challenged by Fred Nkata of Bandari. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The abandoned SportPesa Shield final between holders Kariobangi Sharks and Bandari will be replayed at Kasarani Stadium today at 11am.

The original fixture was yesterday called off during halftime at Kasarani due to heavy rains and poor visibility that rendered the ground unplayable. The rains lasted for over an hour after the break.

However, unlike other matches, today’s fixture will kick off in the second half and not from the beginning. This means that yesterday’s results before the heavy downpour still stand.

At the time the game was halted, the dockers, who last won the domestic cup in 2015, were leading 2-1, courtesy of Congolese import Yema Mwana’s brace.

Apart from earning a ticket to represent the country in next season’s Caf Confederation Cup, the winners will pocket Sh2 million prize money.

It had taken Mwana only two minutes to put Bernard Mwalala’s men in the driving seat before be doubled the lead in the 22nd minute. Kenyan international Patillah Omoto then pulled a goal back for Sharks with a thunderous strike on the half hour mark.

Mwana pounced on Shaban Kenga’s incisive pass to beat Sharks’ offside trap before comfortably slotting the ball past goalkeeper Gad Matthews in the second minute.

Sharks responded immediately, but Duke Abuya’s effort at the edge of the box agonisingly went inches wide of the left post before Bandari custodian Farouk Shikhalo came off his line to stop Eric Kapaito from drawing level.

However, the dockers continued with their counter-attacking style of play and nearly doubled the lead after the quarter-hour mark, only for Matthews to intercept Kenga’s dangerous cross from the left flank.

Two minutes later, Abuya combined well with Harrison Mwendwa, but Shikhalo pulled off a fine save to thwart the former Mathare United’s effort before Mwana’s shot missed the target by a whisker on the opposite end.

But impressive Mwana grabbed his brace and second goal for the dockers when he unleashed a ferocious shot after being released through by Hassan Abdallah from the midfield.

Moments later, Abdallah saw his shot well-blocked by a self sacrificing Sharks defender as the coastal side intensified their attack.

However,  Omoto pulled a goal back with a screamer that flew past a hapless Shikhalo. This was a minute after Abuya’s - who had been adjudged offside - effort had been blocked by Congolese defender Felly Mulumba.

Mwendwa could have restored parity on the stroke of halftime but he feebly shot to the keeper in the box as the heavens started opening up.

In an earlier match, KCB thrashed lower-tier side SS Assad 7-1 to finish third in this year’s edition of the SportPesa Shield. Clinton Kisiavuki and Simon Munala bagged a brace each.