Bandari sink bankers as Homeboyz down Nzoia Sugar

Bandari FC forward Johanna Mwita (left) scores past KCB FC goalkeeper Gabriel Andika during their KPL match at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos, yesterday. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Goalkeeping errors dominated yesterday’s Kenyan Premier League double header in Machakos as Bandari and Wazito secured wins over KCB and Zoo respectively.

Bandari upset ten-man KCB 2-1, just after Wazito had extended their unbeaten run to four games with a 4-1 thrashing of Zoo in an early kick off encounter

At Bukhungu Stadium, Homeboyz came from behind to beat Nzoia Sugar 3-2 and maintain their four-point gap with league leaders Gor Mahia.

Nzoia Sugar had taken a surprising 2-0 half time lead only for Benjamin Oketch to net a late brace after veteran striker Allan Wanga had pulled a goal back in the 83rd minute.

But it is the goalkeepers’ displays at Kenyatta Stadium that left a lot to be desired as their individual errors led to six of the seven goals scored at the venue.

Zoo goalkeeper Vincent Misikhu was at fault for the first, third and fourth goals, while his Wazito counterpart Kevin Omondi’s howler gifted the visitors their lone goal of the match.

It was the same scenario in the second match as KCB goalkeeper Gabriel Andika’s blunders allowed John Mwita to score quickfire brace in a span of three minutes (59th and 61st).

Dennis Odhiambo pulled a goal back for the bankers in the 69th minute, but the resurgent dockers held on to complete a double over them and squander a chance to narrow the gap at the top.

The bankers’ comeback hopes were diminished after defender Pascal Ogweno was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 88th minute.

Though disappointed with the defeat, KCB coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno was not overly critical of his goalkeeper, blaming his entire defensive unit for the goals.

“I think today was a very bad day for us. We lost a chance to close the gap on the leaders. That’s really disappointing,” Otieno told Standard Sports.

“I don’t think those errors were from the goalkeeper. I think we just didn’t defend well as a team because once the defence is beaten you have to rush out as a goalkeeper. So, it’s poor defending and not an individual error from the goalkeeper.”

But for Zoo coach Herman Iswekha, goalkeeper’s blunders cost them the match.

“The goalkeeper made it easy for Wazito. Like the second goal even if the striker was offside he could have saved it. That was a very soft shot. But I will keep on encouraging him because he is still young,” said Isekhwa.

In the early match, Dennis Ng’ang’a and Paul Kiongera capitalised on Misikhu’s blunders to get their names on the scoresheet as Omondi’s mistake led to Collins Neto’s consolation goal for Zoo.

Ng’ang’a put Wazito ahead in the 22nd minute with a curved free-kick that flew past the goalkeeper.

However, Omondi’s howler on the half hour mark gifted Neto an equaliser. The former Sony Sugar custodian mistimed a cross from the left flank, allowing his former teammate to comfortably head the ball into an empty net from the blind side.

Three minutes later, Wazito regained the lead after Misikhu allowed Paul Kiongera’s weak shot to slip through his hands before Liberian striker Augustine Otu extended the lead with a controversial effort on the stroke of halftime.

Joe Waithira then came off the bench to seal an emphatic win for Wazito in the 75th minute when he lobbed the ball over Misikhu who was already off his line. [Additional reporting by Washington Onyango]