Gor Mahia of Kenya beat Tanzania’s side Simba SC 2-0 to retain SportPesa Super Cup title at the Afraha Stadium in Nakuru on Sunday.
Rwandese duo of Meddie Kagere and Jacques Tuyisenge scored in either half to earn K’Ogalo a ticket to Goodison Park in England to face English Premier League side Everton in a friendly next month.
The Kenyan premiership side had a bright start in the encounter and eventually opened the scoring on the sixth minute though Kagere’s powerful shot from outside the box having connected Francis Kahata’s cross after Simba failed to clear their lines.
Simba should have equalised shortly afterwards when Philemon Otieno was caught out of position and Rashid Juma had the chance to side-foot into an empty net, but put his effort wide.
The Tanzanian side shot-stopper Aishi Manula was called upon on 32nd minute as he produced a superb save in a one-on-one situation to deny George Odhiambo the second.
There was a scare for Gor late in the half when Shiza Kichuya’s free-kick for Simba rebounded off the post, a warning of what was about to come.
K’Ogalo continued to dominate upon resumption in the second half, with Kagere causing a number problems in the final third.
The 16-time Kenyan champions were finally rewarded 10 minutes in when Tuyisenge volleyed the ball home unmarked inside the box from a Humphrey Mieno pass.
Haron Shakava should have made it 3-0 two minutes after the hour mark for the Gor after he was sent through one-on-one with Manula but the Simba’s shot-stopper kept the scoreline respectable.
Dylan Kerr’s men were more in control of the match with 20 minutes remaining, still keeping a lion’s share of possession and denying the visitors chances.
With nine minutes left, Shomari Kapombe made a goal-saving tackle for Simba to deny a clear-on-goal Kagere the chance to slot into an empty net.
K’Ogalo could have added more goals in the closing minutes as Simba became vulnerable to counter-attacks, but the tie ultimately ended 2-0 to the home side.
How they lined up:
Gor Starting XI: Shaban Odhoji, Philemon Otieno, Godfrey Walusimbi, Haron Shakava, Joash Onyango, Ernest Wendo, Humphrey Mieno(68′ Innocent Wafula), George Odhiambo (83′ Lawrence Juma), Francis Kahata, Jacques Tuyisenge (90 Bernard Ondiek), Meddie Kagere (90′ Boniface Omondi)
Unused subs: Boniface Oluoch, Wesly Onguso, Charles Momanyi, Ephrem Guikan, Cersidy Okey
Simba Starting XI: Aishi Manula, Shomari Kapombe, Yusuf Mlipili (60′ Hussein Mohammed), Paul Bukaba, Erasto Nyoni, Jonas Mukude, Shiza Kichuya (90′ Ibrahim Mohammed), Yasin Muzamiru, Rashid Mohamed (63′ Moses Kitandu), Juma Rashid (58′ Marcel Kaheza), Adam Salamba
Unused subs: Salim Ali, Ali Shomari, Ibrahim Mohamed,
