WEEKEND SPORTS ROUNDUP

MATHARE United gifted Chemelil with an early goal on Saturday and eventually paid the price, settling to a 1-1 draw at Chemelil in the only Kenyan Premier League fixture. Elsewhere, the Kenya Under-20 national team beat Sudan 1-0 at the National Stadium in Nairobi to enter the last phase of the Africa Under-20 finals qualifiers. It was this match that had necessitated the postponement of other Premiership matches. Kenya had won the away leg in Khartoum 2-0 a fortnight ago and will proceed to the last round of the qualifiers to meet either South Africa or Swaziland. The winner will earn a slot at next year’s African championship finals in Libya. At Chemelil, the visiting Mathare United dominated the match but the early set-back always haunted them. For long periods of sustained Mathare attacks, Chemelil doggedly fought to retain their lead but on 78 minutes Nzomo atoned for his earlier mishap bringing in a long cross that was misjudged by the Chemelil’s Frederick Onyango. The ‘keeper failed to clear the ball which fell on Simon Mburu’s path to slot home. Despite Mathare’s early poise as the better team, Chemelil’s Kenya forward Kevin “Keegan” Ngugi come closest to scoring against the run of play in the opening minutes. Veteran Kenyan midfielder Austin “Tino” Makacha then proved the complete master of the middle-of-park, combining well with Kevin Opiyo [younger brother of Kenya star Dennis Oliech] and to feed the dangerous Mburu who had an early shot that went just wide. In the 20th minute the Chemelil attack comprising Tony Opondo and new signing Victor Omondi almost gained another goal when Opondo dispossessed a defender to lay on a beautiful ball to Omondi whose shot was blocked acrobatically by defender Lloyd Wahome. Mathare’s confidence invited more attacks and assisting Makacha in the drive were Nzomo and ex-junior international Kevin Kimani who gave a torrid time to the Chemelil defence.