Why Pinchez did not take City Stars' second penalty against Sofapaka

Nairobi City Stars were cruising, really. Three goals up by the 52nd minute against a 10-man Sofapaka side that has largely been inconsistent in the 2020/2021 Football Kenya Federation Premier League season. Still, the Sanjin Alagic-side had a chance to extend the match to four goals after being awarded a second penalty in the 53rd minute.

Pacy diminutive winger Rodgers ‘Okuse’ Okumu received a nice Sven Yidah pick out on the right edge of the area and with his bustling turn of speed, beat Isaac Mitima to the ball, the Sofapaka player mistiming his tackle that ended up bringing the player down to earned City Stars a second penalty in the game.

Earlier, Peter ‘Pinchez’ Opiyo had converted the first penalty for City Stars in the third minute, tucking his penalty to the right side and beyond the keeper’s reach for the opening goal of the game. The bizarre moment of the game came when captain Anthony ‘Muki’ Kimani stepped up to take the second awarded penalty but to his disappointment, his effort was saved by Kevin Omondi who had barely been on the pitch for ten minutes after first-choice goalkeeper Aigba Moubarak had been given a straight red card for an off the ball incident on Nicholas KIpkrui.

“Why didn’t Pinchez take the penalty?” One privileged spectator posed.

The player who did not take the penalty however cleared the air as to why he passed up the chance to add to his first goal of the game.

“There was no sportsmanship to that gesture. In our team, everything is dictated by rules. If you see someone taking a free kick it means it is stated that that specific person should take it. The penalty book states that I should take the first penalty in any game and should we get a second, it is Muki who is supposed to take it. And that is why he took it,” the player revealed to Mozzart Sport.

It could have been a costly miss had City Stars lost in the match, but the 3-0 first-half damage from the Jonathan Jackson- funded outfit ensured that the captain’s miss had no consequences in the match that saw them outclass Sofapaka to jump up to 10th on the log table on 20 points from their hitherto 13th position.

City Stars next welcome the challenge of a hurting Kariobangi Sharks side in a round nineteen clash set to be played at Utalii Grounds this Saturday afternoon.