Sharks Edge Shootout To Set All-Kenyan SportPesa Cup Decider

25th January 2019 - by Louis Kalinga

Everton will be hosted by the new champions of the knockout torunament after the SportPesa Shield winners edged a marathon shootout 6-5 to set up a Sunday title showdown with Bandari

YES WE CAN: Jubilant Kariobangi Sharks FC players celebrate following their shootout victory over Mbao FC in the second 2019 SportPesa Cup semi final at the National Main Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania on January 25, 2019. PHOTO/SPN

SUMMARY

The result also confirmed English Premier League side, Everton FC will make their first-ever tour to Kenya later this year to face the winner of Sunday's showpiece after Sharks booked a date with SportPesa Premier League (SPL) rivals Bandari FC who earlier pick-pocketed a 2-1 victory over Dar heavyweights Simba SC in the first semi played earlier at the same venue
Charles Kadikilo was responsible for the Mwanza-based minnows' heartbreak when he missed the last penalty for Mbao to gift Sharks victory after holding out against the Kenyans who upset Dar giants Yanga SC 3-2 in the quarterfinals
Everton will join Africa in keenly following the developments at the National Stadium on Sunday as they prepare for their second tour to East Africa following their 2017 visit to Dar where they beat Gor 2-1 before the sides met again at Goodison Park last November where the Blues handed their visitors a resounding 4-0 defeat

DAR-ES-SALAAM, Tanzania- Kariobangi Sharks FC set an all-Kenyan 2019 SportPesa (SP) Cup final after edging a nerve-wracking penalty shootout 6-5 following a barren stalemate against battling Mbao FC of Tanzania on Friday evening.

The result also confirmed English Premier League side, Everton FC will make their first-ever tour to Kenya later this year to face the winner of Sunday's showpiece after Sharks booked a date with SportPesa Premier League (SPL) rivals Bandari FC who earlier pick-pocketed a 2-1 victory over Dar heavyweights Simba SC in the first semi played earlier at the same venue.

Besides earning the rights to host Everton who were represented by club ambassador and former South Africa international midfielder, Steven Pienaar at the keenly-contested semi finals, the tournament winners will return home USD30,000 richer with the gleaming trophy to show.

Sunday's gold medal match of the three year-old eight-team invitational regional tournament will be the second all-Kenyan final after Gor Mahia FC, the deposed two-time winners, hammered arch rivals AFC Leopards SC 3-0 at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar to sign off the inaugural edition of the competition on June 11, 2017.

Brave Mbao, the tournament debutants who stunned titleholders Gor on penalties in the third semi final

of the competition will battle to win the bronze medal against fellow Tanzania Premier League side Simba in the third-place play-off that will curtain raise the main event.

For head coach William Muluya and his Sharks, the tense victory was just reward for the dominance his side enjoyed throughout the match only to hit a brick wall against the well-drilled Mbao who have now become a household name following their exploits in the 2019 SP Cup.

Charles Kadikilo was responsible for the Mwanza-based minnows' heartbreak when he missed the last penalty for Mbao to gift Sharks victory after holding out against the Kenyans who upset Dar giants Yanga SC 3-2 in the quarterfinals.

Bleak fashion

It all started in bleak fashion for the Kenyans when Harambee Stars international and field captain Patillah Omotto missed the first spot kick before Said Khamis scored to give Mbao a 1-0 advantage but what ensued was a marathon shootout that produced 14 attempts and three misses before the 2018 SportPesa Shield domestic cup winners squeezed through to the final on their second SP Cup outing.

Sharks began the stronger and had a presentable chance to go ahead in the eighth minute but George Abege failed to make the best of a Harrison Mwendwa pass.

Two minutes later, Mbao came even closer after danger forward Khamis found space and shot toward goal but it went inches wide of John Oyemba’s goal.

Omotto then stole the ball in midfield and skipped past two Mbao defenders before releasing Mwendwa who tried to find George Abege in the box, but Erick Mrilo recovered for the Tanzanians.

Mwendwa looked to be the biggest threat for Muluya’s side going forward and he almost put them in front in the 20th but his effort was straight at Boniface Metacha in the Mbao goal.

Geoffrey Shiveka the found Mwendwa with a superb 25-yard pass which he controlled well but his follow-up shot went flying over the bar six minutes later.

That chance seemed to breathe life into Sharks as Vincent Wasambo threaded an inch perfect through ball that Mwendwa took well and shot at goal but Metacha stretched well to save.

In the 34th, Abege turned in the box and shot with his left foot and Metacha punched it away to safety as Sharks continued to search for an opening goal.

Ally Kombo was shown the first yellow card of the game for a bad foul on Abege in the 37th and his team were almost caught out five minutes later when the busy Mwendwa crossed into the box and the ball evaded two defenders to give Duke Abuya a sight of goal and his finish was heading in before it was deflected out for a corner.

A minute into the second half, Abuya who seemed to be struggling from a knock he picked up in the first and he was replaced by last season’s SPL Most Valuable Player Eric Kapaito but before he could settle, Mbao threatened when Herbert Lukindo did well to skip past Shiveka but his left-footed effort went agonisingly over the bar.

Athanus Makula came off for the Tanzanian side and was replaced by Raphael Siame who also came on as a sub in the quarterfinal victory over Gor five minutes later.

Kadikilo did well on the left flank to send in a wonderful cross into the Sharks penalty area soon after but Lukindo headed wide.

Goal threat

Muluya fished out another attacker, Sydney Lokale- the Kenyan Under 23 international from the bench in place of Wasambo but again it was Mbao who posed another goal threat through Siame whose header just cleared the crossbar in the 70th.

Khamis who was growing in prominence, then left Sven Yidah on his backside with a dazzling bit of skill but Shiveka rescued Sharks when he blocked the strike that was creeping into the bottom right corner.

Said Khamis then left Sharks midfielder Sven Yidah on the ground after some fancy footwork but his shot was blocked by Shiveka on its way to the bottom right corner.

Captain Eric Juma then came on in place of Mwendwa in the 75th as Sharks sought to bolster their rear guard and Mbao responded by hauling on Gervas Bernard and it was the Kenyans who fashioned a scoring chance thereafter when Lokale extended Metacha with a right foot shot that was turned out for a fruitless corner.

Further changes did not inspire a late flourish as the clock trickled down for the dreaded penalty shootout and it was the home side that came the remotely close to nicking it when their captain David Mwasa chipped a delightful ball to the Sharks box but there was no takers as Oyemba gratefully gathered the ball.

The final whistle went to usher in the shootout where in the end, the fishermen from Mwanza came to within the width of the crossbar from prolonging their quest to seal a romantic run to the final as Sharks celebrated surviving what was a stern test by the skin of their teeth.

The game was a first barren stalemate of the tournament that has already broken scoring records ahead of the final day flourish on Sunday.

Everton will join Africa in keenly following the developments at the National Stadium on Sunday as they prepare for their second tour to East Africa following their 2017 visit to Dar where they beat Gor 2-1 before the sides met again at Goodison Park last November where the Blues handed their visitors a resounding 4-0 defeat.