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Kenya: Soccer - Bandari Put Up Brilliant Fight to Hold Mathare
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The Nation (Nairobi)
13 May 2008
Posted to the web 13 May 2008
Philip Onyango
Nairobi
Bandari FC checked Mathare United's winning streak with a brilliant performance to hold the slum boys to a 1-1 draw at the Mombasa Municipal Stadium, at the weekend.
The dockers, who started the game as under dogs, seem to have come of age and will soon be the team to beat if they replicate their performance against Mathare United in all their matches.
Before taking on Bandari, Mathare had won all their four previous matches, including a 4-1 demolition of Tusker, 3-1 routing of Western Stima and a 3-0 drubbing of KCB. They were clearly the favourites against the basement side Bandari, who had only two wins prior to the weekend match. The inclusion of Harambee Stars deputy coach Twahir Muhidin in Bandari's technical bench seems to be paying off.
Muhidin confirmed that the 1-0 beating of Red Berets in his first match in charge a fortnight ago was not a fluke with yet another superb display from the players.
Blunt striking force
The players' determination could be seen from the way they matched Mathare United in every department eventually reducing the slum boys to play catch-up in the second half. The team was once again let down by the blunt striking force after Ajai Ali and Anthony Katana missed clear scoring chances particularly in the first half.
The inclusion of Ayub Karoyo and Harambee Stars striker Haji Mwachoki for Katana and Ali worsened the situation after the two completely failed to make their presence felt.
Mwachoki was goal shy and his runs upfront were missing, while Karoyo was completely a pale shadow of himself.
"I'm impressed with the team's performance, particularly the players' attitude but was let down by the striking force," Muhidin said.
Mathare drew first blood Bandari with a 36th minute thunderbolt from Vincent Okello from an Austin Makacha pass. But this is probably the best Mathare could do as Bandari piled up pressure, literally camping at the Mathare goal mouth.
Abdilahi Adam, who was later substituted with an injury, twice kissed the upright with curving shots. Sabastian Hadiangu set the stadium ablaze with a spectacular bicycle kick from an Ali Breik pass.
Muhidin is now sending a warning to their next opponents as the team prepares to host Mathare Youth next weekend in Mombasa.
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"The players fitness level is perfect, the defense solid while the midfield is well knit. If the strikers can step up, then we will be home and dry," he said.
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