Courtesy of michezoafrika.com<\/p>\n
Kenyan Premier League defending Champions Tusker FC and Gor Mahia fought off to a barren draw in normal regulation time thus occasioning penalty shootout that Gor Mahia won 3-1.The friendly match was played at the City Stadium on Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Both coaches, Zdravko Logarusic and Sammy Omollo, used the match as a build up to evaluate the preparedness of their teams ahead of the second leg of the KPL as well as being a good testing ground for their new signings.<\/p>\n
Coach Logarusic threw in his new dices starting former Tusker and AFC Leopards man Itubu Imbem as well as immediate former City Stars top talisman Dan Sserunkuma. Tusker on the other hand had a completely differnt face in the back four with their players being away on national duty.<\/p>\n
Both teams approached the match coolly with none throwing all the weight. Tusker were the brighter side in the encounter with Peter \u201cPinchez\u201d Opiyo and Jerry Santos commanding the pace of the game from the midfield.<\/p>\n
Patrick Kagogo had a decent effort in the ninth minute but keeper Jerry Onyango collected the ball with ease. Teddy Akumu had an effort for Gor Mahia in the 27th minute but his long range shot went agonizingly wide.<\/p>\n
Approaching the half hour mark, the game\u2019s tempo began to gradually pick up. Tusker keeper George Opiyo standing between the sticks in the absence of Boniface Oluoch was called into action in the 34th minute, making a spectacular save from an Itubu Imbem shot after a defensive clearance hit Danni Serunkuma.<\/p>\n
Gor then made the first sub of the evening Jerry Onyango coming off for Ivo Mapunda.<\/p>\n
Opiyo was then forced into his second sub of the evening with another fantastic save from an Ivan Anguyo freekick.<\/p>\n
Come the second half, Tusker changed their entire team, with Coach Pamzo swinging in his new signings in David Nyanzi and Allan Katerega.<\/p>\n
Coach Logarusic re-strategized by\u00a0 bringing in a few new faces including Eddy Mubiru, Edwin Lavatsa, Yussuf Juma, Nasio Solomon and George Midenyo.<\/p>\n
Play was minimized into midfield battle with the two keepers having nothing much to do. Tusker\u00a0 were again the brighter side with Katerega and Nyanzi tormenting the Gor backline.<\/p>\n
Gor also made some chances in the Tusker 18-yard area but the ball never found its way into the net.<\/p>\n
After the 90 minutes with the game still at 0-0,penalties were to be used to decide the winner .Gor Mahia\u2019s Ivans Anguyo,Kevin Omondi and Duncan Owiti converted theirs while Charles Ondete and Dennis Mukaisi were not lucky for the brewers.Maurice Odipo managed to score for Tusker to make it 3-1.<\/p>\n