James Magayi @PeopleSports11
Kenya’s standout players in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Michael Olunga and Johanna Omollo posted contrasting results in their respective leagues over the weekend.
Olunga, turning out for Japanese second tier side Kashiwa Reysol was on the score sheet in keeping with his pre-Afcon form as his club won 2-1 away to Tochigi to stay level on points with log leaders Kyoto Sanga.
Tochigi breached Kashiwa Reysol with a second minute goal but Olunga levelled maters 15 minutes later when he stole the ball from two defenders before squeezing it past the goalkeeper.
A long ball, looking for the Kenyan, seemed too far to reach as two Tochigi defenders guarded it. However, tenacity and grit saw the lanky Kenyan brush off one defender then jostled his way past the other to win the ball in most unlikely of circumstances to score.
He then quickly retrieved the ball from the net before leading two of his team-mates into a choreographed celebration. The Kenyan was then booked three minutes later for a rough tackle as the teams went to half-time level.
Kashiwa Reysol scored their winning goal one minute into the second half and held on for three points. The 22-team Japanese second tier division is just past the halfway mark with Olunga’s club well into automatic qualifying slots.
In Belgium, Omollo tasted just three minutes of action as his club Cercle Brugge KSV lost 2-0 at home to Standard Liege in the opening match of 2019/10 Jupiler League. The game was scoreless when Omollo was introduced in the 87th minute as replacement for Malian Rominigue Kouame N’Guessan.
But Standard Liege scored their first goal one minute after Omollo’s introduction before adding a second in the 94th minute with Cercle Brugge reduced to 10 men.
Elsewhere, Francis Kahata fashioned his first assist as a Simba Sports Club player when he teed up Rwandan Meddie Kagere to score in the 58th minute in an international friendly match against Township Rollers of Botswana.
