Shariff Musa dazzles as Gor Mahia disarm Ulinzi to go 10 points clear at top

Record FKF Premier League champions extended their lead on top of the standings to a massive 10 points after disarming Ulinzi Stars 3-1 at the Ulinzi Sports Complex on Sunday, 15 March.

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The 21-time champions, a day removed from seeing their closest runners AFC Leopards stumble to Mathare United, put on another top performance to get back to winning ways, this after they were held by Posta Rangers in their last league match on 5 March.

Shariff Musa was undoubtedly the star of the show, as he was involved in all of his side’s three goals, keeping up his fine run with K’Ogalo this season.

The speedy winger bore the first goal for the visitors in the seventh minute, when he won a penalty after being felled inside the box by Bildad Abonga.

Enock Morisson, just like he did against Mathare United, stepped up to send the resulting spot-kick past Sylvaine Ricks, who dived in the opposite direction.

Musa was involved yet again for Gor Mahia’s second in the 68th minute, when his ball across goal found substitute Patrick Essombe to slide home his first goal of the season.

To cap off his star showing, the former Kariobangi Sharks man produced a moment of beauty by curling a finish past Ricks in the 75th minute, a goal that was celebrated by his coach Charles Akonnor on the bench.

The league-leaders would later ship in a late consolation from Edward Odhiambo, but nothing was going to take away the joy from the Gor Mahia faithful, who on top of seeing their team extend their unbeaten run to 14 matches, witnessed them take a huge step towards reclaiming the league title.

On the opposite side of the divide, stood a down-trodden Ulinzi, who for a ninth straight game, left without tasting victory, even as their fight to stay in the league gets harder.

Match Report

Now for a team that was ticking wins after wins prior to the Posta result, it would be inaurguable to say that giving it some motivation was the last thing to do.

However, AFC Leopards did just that on Saturday, when their chase for a first league championship since 1998 hit another roadblock, handing a clear path for Gor Mahia to inflict more damage.

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Not that K'Ogalo were going to ignore the invitation, as they used their new direct style of football in good effect to dismantle an Ulinzi side still stuck in the basement.

Ricks was within the first minute given a glimpse of the type of afternoon he was up to, when he forced to claw away a tame header by Ebenezer Assifuah over the net.

Similar heroics were impossible to pull the next time the men in white threatened to take the lead, as Morisson was the beneficiary of a penalty born out of an Abonga push on the speedy Musa.

Ulinzi, testament to their struggles, were on the backfoot for much of the first half, as Abonga was made busy to scoop over a cross from Samuel Kapen minutes later.

The hosts' best chance came from a setpiece in the 27th minute, when Sylvester Owino nearly put a header past his keeper from Boniface Muchiri's freekick.

That ended to be the centre back's last piece of action, as he was stretchered off minutes later with what looked like a muscle injury. Michael Kibwage stepped in as his replacement, but even he, could do no wrong.

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In the second half, Ricks was still the busier man as he produced two big stops to fend off Morrison and Shariff in quick succession, with Bryne Omondi only being called to flap away another Muchiri free kick in the 50th minute.

Musa, on this day, however proved too hot to handle, as after coming close again in the 57th minute, manouvered his way past a couple of red shirts to tee up Essombe for what he would term a long-awaited goal.

Seven minutes later, Musa had his moment, this time taking advantage of a long throw into the box to curl an effort into Rick's top corner.

Ulinzi, through an Omondi header from a corner in thr 86th minute, did have something to celebrate, but not comparable with the joy seen on one of the green stands in the facility.

You can feel it coming can't you?