Rowland Makati’s second half strike saw Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB FC) register a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mara Sugar in a tightly contested SportPesa League clash played at Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday.
After a tough yet evenly contested first half battle, the bankers had the final laugh with a 72nd-minute strike by Makati which saw the bankers secure the three points and their tenth win of the season.
The match started at a high tempo, with both sides showing early intent in search of an opening goal. Mara Sugar looked more threatening in the opening exchanges, creating the first clear chances of the game, but KCB’s defense remained compact to keep the scores level.
The opening 45 minutes belonged to Mara Sugar, who consistently threatened the KCB goal.
Forward Timothy Ndayala was at the heart of the visitors’ attack, forcing KCB goalkeeper Arnold Monzobo into several acrobatic saves.
Despite Mara Sugar’s superior possession and territorial advantage, KCB’s defensive duo of Siraj Mohammed and Clyde Senaji remained disciplined, absorbing the pressure and restricted the visitors to long-range efforts.
The Bankers struggled to create clear-cut chances before the interval, often appearing isolated on the counter-attack.
The biggest opportunity of the first half came in the 15th minute when Timothy Ndayala found space on the edge of the box and unleashed a powerful snapshot that sailed just inches wide of the post, much to the relief of the KCB defense.
Ndayala continued to trouble the Bankers’ backline, and in the 21st minute he was again presented with a golden chance, but goalkeeper Arnold Monzobo reacted quickly to produce a fine save and deny him.
Mara Sugar kept pushing forward, and around the half-hour mark Richard Omondi came close with a header, but it failed to trouble the goalkeeper. A well-worked move in midfield later saw Timothy Ndayala break down the right wing and deliver a dangerous low cross into the box, but the resulting shot from jersey number 16 was well handled by Monzobo, who pushed the ball out for a corner in the 39th minute.
The second half began with Mara Sugar pressing high and forcing KCB to sit deep, relying on long balls from the wings to try and unlock the defense.
However, KCB head coach Robert Matano responded with tactical changes, introducing December Kisakah and David Sakwa for Kelvin Etemesi and Richard Omondi to inject fresh energy in attack.
The tactical adjustments shifted the momentum, allowing KCB to control the midfield and pin Mara Sugar back.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 72nd minute; a dangerous cross from Francis Kahiro deflected into the path of Rowland Makati, who calmly slotted the ball into the net.
