Bidco United fry Equity to finish third in FKF Cup
Equity Bank's Evans Ochieng (right) vies for the ball with Bidco United's Henry Omollo during their FKF Cup third-place playoff match at Nyayo National Stadium on July 4, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Bidco's backline still had to be alert as the bankers, who stunned holders Bandari 1-0 in the quarter-finals, kept on probing them.
- Six minutes to the final whistle, last man Hillary Shirao collected a long range pass, but with Equity's defenders fast closing on him, he opted for a long-range drive which did not trouble Ngugi.
Bidco United on Sunday beat Divison One side Equity FC by a solitary goal in the third place play-off of the 2021 Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Betway Cup staged behind closed doors at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.
Kassim Mwinyi's first-half header is all coach Anthony Akhulia's side needed to win the contest take home Sh750,000 cash prize.
The match was a curtain raiser to the competition's finals pitting arch-rivals Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards.
Apart from clinching the ticket to the 2021/22 Caf Confederation Cup, the winner will receive Sh2 million prize money, while the loser takes home Sh1 million.
"Despite winning, we have not played so well so I can not say that we are ripe as a team. Being the best is a journey, so this win is very important for us towards attaining that, but considering that many big teams took part in this competition, I can say that it has been a good campaign for us," said Akhulia.
Equity coach John Baraza said: "We had many chances than Bidco, but we have not used them well. We are satisfied with our place and I can say that the future is bright for my boys and to the team."
Peter Nzuki's free-kick on nine minutes was blocked by Equity's goalkeeper Timothy Ngugi as the league side created the first chance of the match.
Sunday Katumba then forced his way into Bidco's area, but his hurriedly taken left-footed shot went off, and his campatriort Evans Ochieng missed in similar fashion from outside the box after being teed by Oscar Lusomo.
Bidco went ahead at the stroke of the half-hour mark through Mwinyi's header from Wilson Anekeya's corner kick.
Anekeya planted his free-kick from outside the box over the bar at the stroke of halftime. The bankers pressed high from the restart, but they lacked the final touch.
In the 62nd minute, Ochieng opted to take a long range strike that went wide instead of squaring to his better-placed teammates.
Six minutes later, David Kalama should have scored Bidco's second, but he fired direct into the waiting hands of goalkeeper Ngugi from the goal mouth.
Bidco's backline still had to be alert as the bankers, who stunned holders Bandari 1-0 in the quarter-finals, kept on probing them.
Six minutes to the final whistle, last man Hillary Shirao collected a long range pass, but with Equity's defenders fast closing on him, he opted for a long-range drive which did not trouble Ngugi.
