Maingi Scores in KSJ’s Loss to Tusker Veterans

Kenya Sports Journalists Team Manager, Fred Maingi, netted his first ever goal for the scribes’ team but still saw his team fall 7-4 to former Tusker FC players in a compelling friendly match played in Ruaraka, Sunday.

The happy-go-lucky team manager surprisingly found himself in the starting lineup and was slotted right into the thick of things playing as the center forward, a challenge he duly took if his brilliant goal was anything to go by.

KSJ fielded a fairly strong team with Maingi leading the front line alongside potent marksman Steve Obuya while Amos Abuga and Peter Muchiri occupied the flanks. With Vivian between the posts, the rearguard had Dennis Kameni and Lichina Musungu as center backs with Sharon Akinyi and Boniface Kasembeli slotted in either side of the full back positions. Timothy Olobulu and Steve Steifmaster Ayoo doubled up in central midfield in a 4-4-1-1 formation.

The two teams approached the early minutes of the game cautiously perhaps trying to test each other’s potency. However, with two minutes past the quarter hour mark, Maingi netted the match’s opener drilling the ball low and hard into the corner of the net to give KSJ the lead as the scribes dictated the early minutes of the half. The hosts drew level just five minutes later when John Kanyi rushed onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Sammy “Pumzo” Omollo and guided the ball into the back of the net for the equalizer.

With the spoils even, KSJ pushed to restore their one goal lead but wasteful finishing and occasional fine goalkeeping thwarted their attempts. Amos Abuga, Peter Muchiri, Lichina Musungu and Steve Steifmaster Ayoo were all guilty of fluffing their lines when presented with wonderful opportunities. The Tusker veterans on the other hand were clinical and they took the lead for the first time in the game, Paul Onyiera’s speculative shot from the half-way line stinging the palms of KSJ custodian Vivian Akinyi and into the net.

The last ten minutes of the game witnessed a flood of goals. The first on the score sheet was Timothy Olobulu who after collecting Steifmaster Ayoo’s pass from just outside the area, he glided past several defenders before rifling in the ball between the legs of the goalkeeper to make it 2-2. Ayoo then turned creator to scorer with a neat finish to make it 3-2 to KSJ. Undeterred, the veterans went about reasserting themselves in the tie. They zipped the ball across the turf with real purpose and after five minutes they levelled proceedings via Onyiera’s controversial penalty which made it 3-3.

A more reenergized and organized Tusker team turned on the style after the interval with Pamzo dropping into central defence and giving Alfred Kiragu the space to push further forward.

KSJ simply had no answers for this sudden change of play and were not helped either by poor and mediocre officiating on both halves. The scribes found themselves chasing the game yet again when Kiragu lashed onto another through ball from the unplayable Roxy Ashumah to guide the ball past Akinyi. Ashumah was then at hand to score Tusker’s 5^th goal before Pamzo also found the back of the net. KSJ drew a goal back through Stephen Obuya but John Kanyi made it 7 even after Vivian had saved Ashumah’s penalty.

The veterans fought off a late rally from KSJ led by substitutes Eric Ochieng, Gregory Mulemi, Hamisi and marauding right back Sharon Akinyi as the two-hour game ended 7-4 in favour of the veterans.

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