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Kennedy Owino downed his former side Posta Rangers as he helped AFC Leopards return to winning ways ahead of next weekend’s Mashemeji derby against bitter rivals Gor Mahia.
Kennedy Owino lived up to his promise of showing his former side Posta Rangers what they are missing when he handed AFC Leopards a first win in three league matches.
Owino, who ditched Posta Rangers in the midseason transfer window, rose highest to head home Brian Wanyama’s corner to break the deadlock five minutes before halftime and that was all Leopards needed to secure a 1-0 victory.
Leopards were the lively side of the two as they looked to end a run of one loss and a draw in the league while Posta Rangers were looking to end their run of four straight losses.
Luke Namanda, a menace on the right side of Leopards attack, should have scored early on when he headed home another corner from Wanyama but Peter Oudo made goal line clearance with his head to keep the scores 0-0.
Namanda then received a good pass while on his bike but failed to control the ball before Owino came up trumps.
Wanyama floated in his corner and Owino timed the ball well, shrugging off a challenge from Dinken Mwema to head home and add onto his former employers’ woes although he did not celebrate as a sign of respect for the mailmen.
Five minutes after the break, Posta Rangers came close to leveling the scores as Brian Otieno hit the post, missing the target by inches, while Clifton Miheso drew a good save from goalkeeper John Njau after testing him from distance.
Njau would then be called into action, this time Namanda firing from range, as the Posta Rangers goalkeeper dealt with a barrage of attacks.
It did not stop there, substitute Jaffari Owiti made Njau work again after receiving the ball on the edge of the box then unleashed a shot on the half-turn but the Posta Rangers custodian was up to task.
Leopards would start to take their foot off the gas, inviting Rangers to attack and Jackson Macharia nearly equalised in the 90th minute from a loose ball only to fire wide before Caleb Olilo weaved his way past his markers before firing directly at Levis Opiyo in the Ingwe goal.
Both teams struggled with the rhythm of the game with the playing surface poor due to the heavy rains pounding various parts of the country.
Leopards helped onto their lead to claim a win which sees them stay in eighth place on the table with 38 points but now just one behind seventh-placed Posta Rangers.
The win is what Leopards would have wished as it was a good warm up for the Mashemeji derby against bitter rivals Gor Mahia next weekend.
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