BONIFACE OMONDI of Gor Mahia celebrates vs Zoo Kericho FC.Goal Kenya.

AFC Leopards 0-1 Gor Mahia: Omondi strikes as K'Ogalo register 31st Mashemeji derby victory

Gor Mahia have maintained their dominance in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League Mashemeji derby after picking up a 1-0 win over AFC Leopards at Kasarani Stadium on Wednesday.

Boniface Omondi, who returned from Wazito FC at the beginning of the season, scored the goal that separated the two sides in the 24th minute. Gor Mahia have now recorded their 31st Mashemeji derby victory in the league and have scored 87 goals against their traditional rivals.

This was the first goal conceded by Ingwe in the new season after a 1-0 win over Tusker and a 0-0 draw that followed against KCB.

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Isaac Kipyegon's 28th-minute mistake almost handed Gor Mahia a perfect chance to score the second goal, but goalkeeper Maxwell Mulili - whose mistake led to the opener - saved them from going down after stopping Omondi's effort. 
 
Maxwell Otieno was flagged down for offside at the half-hour mark after he was set through on goal by Marvin Nabwire. That was Ingwe's first successful build-up from the midfield but, unfortunately, it could not bring them the desired result.
 
Mulili - with a quick intervention - managed to stop Jules Ulimwengu in the 34th minute after the Burundian was spotted in a good goalscoring position by Yusuf Mainge. 
 
Peter Thiong'o will be blamed for wasting a clear chance to restore parity after he could not find the back of the net in the 44th minute. Gor Mahia's goalkeeper, Adama Traore, did well to collect the ball from the AFC Leopards forward, who looked undecided with the ball in a vantage position.
 
In added minute of the first half, Omondi's shot hit the post as K'Ogalo launched persistent attacks. Ulimwengu, Benson Omala and Peter Lwasa were all involved in the build-up that caught the home side completely off guard.
 
Nabwire came close to equalising for AFC Leopards in the 49th minute, but he ended up shooting wide after he received a low pass from Saad Musa, who was Ingwe's outstanding midfielder in that moment. 
 
Otieno launched a timid shot in the 52nd minute that was easily collected by goalkeeper Traore as the hosts relentlessly spent a few minutes trying to open up an unwavering Gor Mahia's backline. 
 
Otieno was involved in a good build-up for Ingwe in the 55th minute again, but Brian Wanyama ended up sending his effort over the bar, and thus wasted another chance for the home team, whose confidence was more tangible in the early moments of the second half.

A combination between Wanyama and Musa in the 69th minute could not produce an equaliser for AFC Leopards at Kasarani as the South Sudanese international shot wide from the edge of the box. 
 
In a bid to counter AFC Leopards' attacking approach in the remaining 10 minutes, coach Mark Harrison introduced centre-back in Harun Shakava - who has never lost to Ingwe while playing for K'Ogalo - in the place of Uliwemngu, a striker.
 
Gor Mahia spent the last minutes of the game defending deep and came out victors with a slim win against a new-look Ingwe outfit.

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