NAIROBI, Kenya, May 21 – An error from goalkeeper Emery Mvuyekure will remain to haunt league leaders Tusker FC after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Wazito FC in a BetKing Premier League match at the Utalii Complex on Friday evening.
Sammy Meja’s deflected freekick in the fifth minute had given Tusker the lead, but Emery dropped the ball into Kevin Kimani’s path for the Wazito equaliser.
The draw means Tusker are now on 34 points, just two ahead of second placed KCB who might go top if they beat Bandari in Sunday.
The result, Tusker’s third in a row, builds pressure on the log leaders who are seeking their first title since 2016.
Tusker FC head coach Robert Matano frustrated after being held to a 1-1 draw by Wazito FC. Photo/RAYMOND MAKHAYA
For a team that failed to execute a single shot on target in 90 minutes save for their goal, Tusker boss Robert Matano will feel undone that his side failed to beat Wazito and take their title pace back on track.
Francis Kimanzi’s men battled in midfield, but save for Emery’s gift of a goal, they didn’t have any other single effort testing the Rwandese international keeper.
Tusker had the best of starts, an early goal in the fourth minute handing them a perfect bounce. But they would soon lose their rhythm and allow Wazito more of the ball.
They found themselves on the backfoot in the 20th minute with a gift of a goal. Amos Asembeka’s searching ball into the box seemed to have no harm with Emery coming out to claim it, but the Rwandese spilled it at Kimani’s waiting feet, the midfielder slamming the ball home.
But after conceding, Tusker raised the tempo and were playing their usual fast, direct football, with the wings trying to cut the ball into the box.
In the 36th minute, the brwers came close but Chris Ochieng’s glancing header went just over off Luke Namanda’s cross. Four minutes later, Boniface Muchiri also had a chance with a shot from the edge of the box which went just over.
At the stroke of halftime, they should surely have been 2-1 up. A sweeping move on the right saw Luke Namanda put defender Kevin Monyi through, but the right back saw his shot grease the crossbar with only the keeper to beat.
Tusker sought to make things better in the second half. Matano threw in four changes at a go, Humphrey Mieno, Kevin Okoth, Jackson Macharia and Henry Meja all coming on for Hashim Sempala, Apollo Otieno, the under-performing George Odhiambo and Namanda.
Tusker moved the ball faster, but they simply couldn’t make the chances count with Muchiri and Okoth having shots saved by the keeper.
