Tyson Otieno crowned Man of the Match after inspiring Ingwe past Nairobi Utd
Red-hot midfielder Tyson Otieno emerged as the standout performer of the match, earning the Man of the Match award for his influential display that saw AFC Leopards beat Nairobi United 1-0 in a Football Kenya Federation Premier League clash on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Nyayo Stadium.
Based on match statistics, the creative midfielder registered one assist, created five chances, and had three shot attempts. His attacking presence was further highlighted by four touches in the opponent’s box and winning two second balls, as Ingwe returned to winning ways.
You might also like
Otieno’s brilliance follows former Harambee Stars legendary goalkeeper Matthews Ottamax questioning why he was snubbed for Harambee Stars duties ahead of the scheduled FIFA Series in Rwanda later in March 2026.
The decisive moment came early in the match when Tyson Otieno set Samuel Ssenyenjo, who found the back of the net in the 13th minute, giving AFC Leopards a lead they would hold onto for the remainder of the game.
Despite Nairobi United enjoying more possession and creating several chances, they were unable to break down a resolute Leopards defense.
Match statistics show that Nairobi United dominated in several aspects of the game. They controlled 60 per cent of possession compared to Leopards’ 40 per cent, and registered 17 shot attempts against Leopards’ 13.
Nairobi United also had a better shot accuracy of 35 per cent compared to 23 per cent, while completing 318 passes with an impressive 95 per cent accuracy, far superior to Leopards’ 214 passes at 72 per cent accuracy.
Making good of opportunities
However, AFC Leopards made their opportunities count and remained efficient in key moments. They won three corners compared to Nairobi United’s four, and caught their opponents offside just once, while Nairobi United were flagged four times.
Leopards also picked up two yellow cards in a physical contest, whereas Nairobi United finished the game without a booking. The victory comes as a sigh of relief to Ingwe’s head coach, Fred Ambani, after the club’s faithful confronted him and the entire technical bench following the team’s 4-1 trashing at the hands of Mathare United before the Naibois encounter.
The win sees Ingwe maintain their position in the league standings with 46 points, seven behind leaders Gor Mahia, who will face Shabana FC on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Nyayo Stadium.
