Teams Up their Games as Copa Coca-Cola Finals Edge Closer

Eye on the Ball

An entertaining Isebania Boys grabbed the headlines in Migori as they subdued their rivals in the county’s finals in their way to qualifying for the Copa Coca-Cola provincial finals slated for early July.

Isebania outfought and outplayed their opponents Tarang’anya in their first match, eventually running away with a 2-0 win. Their surge was slowed down by Kanyawanga after they lost by a solitary goal but they bounced back with a 4-3 win against Migori Youth in the decisive post-match penalties.

In the first match, Isebania started the match intensely and in a confident mood as they wowed the on-watching fans with fascinating football. The first half was a one-way traffic with Tarang’anya keeper making top of the drawer saves in the whole of the half to keep his side in the game.

Clad in navy blue Copa jerseys, Isebania started the second half with tempo as high as the first. Their efforts finally materialized quarter-way into the second period when Jonah David danced through the challenges of two defenders on the right before hitting a low cross that found Harold Okoth whose angled shot found the back of the net to give the blue boys a deserved lead.

The goal seemed to inspire none but Isebania and after seeing Tarang’anya keeper parry Antony Ongaro’s ferocious shot away, they doubled their lead eight minutes before regulation time when the two-some of Okoth and Jonah relived their first goal magic. Okoth, for the umpteenth time, spun away from Tarang’anya left back before playing a one-two with Jonah who hit an exquisite cross which was tucked away by Levis David.

Tarang’anya’s Robert Mambo missed a glorious chance to score a consolation two minutes later before the referee brought the match to a close.

In the second match of the games played at Migori Stadium, a Wycliffe Ochieng goal in the second half proved the difference as Kanyawanga shut down Migori Youth1-0, a score that they replicated against Isebania to book a berth in the provincial finals.

Migori Youth turned on the style in their second match as they dismissed Taranga’anya Boys 2-0 but a 0-0 stalemate with Isebania meant that the two had to meet in the penalty shoot-out which Isebania won to qualify for the finals. 

In Nyeri County, Lasalle Youth won two of their matches against Kiamariga School and Dedan Kimathi School 2-1 and drew their third match 0-0 against Ithekahuno as they booked their ticket to the provincial finals.

They will be joined by Dedan Kimathi who beat Kiamariga 2-0 before drawing 0-0 with Ithekahuno School. Kiamariga won 2-0 against Ithekahuno but both teams will have to wait for next year’s event.

In Baringo county, Kabarnet proved a class above the rest as they won all their matches to qualify for the provincial finals. They eased past Sacho 2-1 before piping Marigat 2-1 and rounding off a virtuoso performance with a 2-0 win over Bartolimo. They will be joined by Sacho who bounced back from their loss to Kabarnet to record a narrow 1-0 win over Bartolimo and a 0-0 stalemate with Marigat.

In Lamu, Anidan drew 0-0 with Portugal and Lamu Boys before hitting Mara Youth 2-0. Mara Youth bounced back from the defeat with a morale-boosting 2-1 win over Portugal before they were held 0-0 by Lamu Boys who then beat Portugal 1-0 in their third match.

Meanwhile in Meru, the second round matches were contested by four teams. Kibirichia was a class above the rest as they won all their matches thrashing Burieruri 3-1 before giving both Akirang’ondu and Meru a 2-0 whitewash.

Burieruri secured an emphatic 4-2 win over Akirang’ondu before piping Meru 2-0. Akirang’ondu’s only win was a 2-0 blanking of Meru.   

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