Mwea:Nairobi Gor Mahia needed a dramatic late equalizer from Alpha Onyango to salvage a point in a 1-1 draw against Nairobi United in an FKF Premier League encounter played at Wang’uru Stadium in Kirinyaga County on Sunday. The match, initially scheduled for Nyayo National Stadium, was relocated to Wang’uru, bringing top-flight football to Mwea and attracting supporters who turned out to cheer their respective teams.
According to Kenya News Agency, Gor Mahia, who have been using Nyayo Stadium as their home ground this season in a bid to expand their fan base within the Nairobi Metropolitan area, endured a frustrating afternoon before Onyango struck in the 89th minute to deny Nairobi United all three points. Nairobi United took an early lead in the 15th minute through Joseph Seremba, who finished off a well-worked move following an assist from Ovella Ochieng, who proved a constant threat throughout the match.
The defending champions struggled to break down Nairobi United’s organized backline but came close to restoring parity when Alphonce Omija’s goal-bound effort was blocked by a determined defensive intervention. Gor Mahia were handed another opportunity five minutes before the break when they won a dangerous free-kick, but Nairobi United goalkeeper Bernard Jairo produced an excellent save to preserve his side’s advantage.
Referee Isaac Hamisi blew the whistle for half-time with Gor Mahia trailing 1-0. In the second half, Nairobi United aimed to protect their lead while Gor Mahia increased their attacking intensity. Kevin Wangaya nearly doubled Nairobi United’s advantage shortly after the restart, but his powerful effort narrowly missed the target. Nairobi United made four substitutions in an attempt to reinforce their defense, but their resilience crumbled when Alpha Onyango scored in the 89th minute.
The draw leaves Gor Mahia second in the league standings with 13 points from six matches, level on points with leaders KCB. Nairobi United remains in the bottom two with five points, having once again surrendered valuable points late in a match. Nairobi United head coach Patrick Aussems expressed disappointment at his team’s inability to hold on to their lead, noting this was the second time they had conceded a late goal this season. He urged his players to learn from their mistakes, as repeated late concessions were proving costly to the team’s campaign.
