AFC Leopards head coach Fred Ambani was elated after his charges produced a strong performance to beat Kakamega Homeboyz 2-0 in the Ingo Derby at Wang’uru Stadium in Mwea on Sunday.
The result was a big boost for Ambani, whose team had struggled to turn glaring scoring chances into goals in previous matches. “We have been creating chances, but sometimes the final touch has let us down. Today, the players showed determination and took their opportunities when they came,” Ambani said.
Homeboyz had the first chance in the seventh minute, forcing goalkeeper Tom Ikara to make a save. However, Leopards soon took control and began putting pressure on the visitors. Tyson Otieno and Musa Oundo combined well in the 14th minute to open up the Homeboyz defence, but Kayci Odhiambo failed to hit the target.
Emmanuel Lwangu came close to scoring in the 37th minute when he rose to meet a cross, but his header went narrowly wide. Ronald Shichenje also missed the target three minutes later as Leopards continued to push forward. The pressure finally paid off when James Kinyanjui delivered a corner, which Lwangu met with a powerful header to put Ingwe ahead. Leopards fans erupted in celebration as the hosts finally broke the deadlock.
James Kinyanjui then added a second goal to put Leopards firmly in control and leave Homeboyz with a difficult task. Ambani was pleased with the way his players took their chances after putting pressure on their opponents.
“The first goal gave us confidence, but we wanted another one to make the game more comfortable. The players responded well and maintained their concentration,” he said.
He made changes in the 68th minute, bringing on Musa Ceesay for his debut and Julius Masaba for his first appearance of the season. They replaced Adama Kanteh and Vincent Mahiga. Kelly Madada and Taddeo Lwanga later came on for Tyson Otieno and Fredrick Alushula as Leopards looked to protect their lead.
“We knew they would come at us in the second half, so we had to remain disciplined. The important thing was to stay organised and not allow them back into the match,” Ambani said. “This is a good result for us, but we cannot relax. We have to keep working, improve our performances and build consistency.”
For Homeboyz coach Edward Manoah, the defeat was disappointing, especially after his team failed to match Leopards' energy in the first half.
“We started slowly and allowed them to dictate the game. Against a team like Leopards, you cannot give them that kind of advantage,” Manoah said.
He was also unhappy with the way his defenders handled the corner that led to the opening goal.
“We knew they were dangerous from corners, but we failed to deal with the delivery. That was disappointing because these are situations we work on in training,” he said. Manoah felt his players did not do enough in attack to get back into the match.
“We tried to respond after the break, but our attacking play lacked the quality and urgency needed to trouble their defence,” he said.
He challenged his players to learn from the defeat and improve in their next match. “We must learn from this. There is no point dwelling on the result. We have to correct our mistakes and come back stronger,” he said. The defeat left Homeboyz on four points from four matches.
In another match, Migori Youth picked up their first win of the season after beating Mombasa United 2-0 at Green Stadium in Awendo.
Philemon Nyakwaka opened the scoring from the penalty spot just before half-time, to put Migori Youth ahead after a closely fought first half.
Mombasa United tried to fight back after the break but struggled to go past the home defence. Fredrick Ologi then scored late in the second half to seal the victory and send the home supporters into celebration
