Don’t be carried away, Kimanzi warns Wazito after huge win

Wazito head coach Francis Kimanzi has warned his charges against being carried away by their 4-1 drubbing of Mathare United in a Kenyan Premier League encounter at Utalii Grounds on Sunday.

Elly Asieche opened the floodgates with a superb 14th-minute finish after pouncing on a loose ball on the edge of the box.

But it was Musa Masika who proved to be the toast of the day, firing home on the stroke of halftime and adding his second six minutes after the restart to extend the advantage.

Vincent Oburu’s 68th-minute thunderbolt then took the scoreline beyond doubt even though Kennedy Otieno ruined a perfect outing as he netted the Slum Boys’ consolation from the spot.

“The results are a clear indication the players are gelling, at long last. We look to more positive outcomes in our subsequent fixtures but it’s only important that we should not rest on our laurels,” said Kimanzi, visibly elated with the outcome.

“We struggled in our opening matches of the season because the new players took time to settle. I’m happy they have eventually fitted in well with the rest of the squad.”

His opposite number, Ezekiel Akwana, said his team’s performance was a reflection of the off-field challenges they were grappling with, including the absence of a shirt sponsor.

“If you consider the situation we are facing as a team, then you’ll appreciate the effort the boys are putting into the fixtures despite the losses,” said Akwana.

“That, however, shouldn’t serve as an escape route or a scapegoat for our poor run. We hope to rectify the loopholes we have observed in today’s match and possibly bounce back in our next assignment.”

Elsewhere, 13-time Kenyan champions AFC Leopards squandered a glorious opportunity to bag maximum points after sharing spoils with hard-battling debutants Talanta in an exhilarating match at Nyayo Stadium.

Daniel Musamali fired Leopards ahead barely ten minutes into the encounter before Edwin Lavatsa found the back of the net in the 46th minute to draw the hosts level.

Goals by Clifton Miheso (29′), Charles Ouma (42′) and Clinton Kinanga (56′) were all newbies Kenya Police needed to gun down Bidco United at Moi Stadium, Kasarani.

Champions Tusker reignited their hopes of back-to-back titles with a slim 1-0 win over Nzoia Sugar at Sudi Stadium, Bungoma courtesy of a Deogratious Ojok strike.