Tough Tusker kick K’Ogalo out

Crowd trouble took the glamour away from a thrilling Top Eight return leg semi-final match involving powerhouses Gor Mahia and Tusker in their played at Nairobi City Stadium yesterday.

That match ended in a one-all draw, and 2-1 on aggregate in favour of Tusker on the away goal rule.

Tusker will now meet the winner between KCB and AFC Leopards in the final of this annual tournament pitting the best in the league in an annual knock-out contest

Trouble began with five minute left when agitated Gor fans began hurling missiles onto the pitch prompting centre referee Anthony Ogwayo to temporarily halt the match.

Emotion got the better of the hard-to-please fans who vented their anger on Tusker’s technical bench accusing the brewers of play-acting towards the end of the game with their team trailing 1-2 on aggregate having lost the first leg 0-1.

Gor players had to step in to cool the nerves of their fans while also clearing out the missiles hurled onto the pitch.

Matters threatened to get out of hand at the blow of the final whistle with police officers lobbing tear gas canisters to disperse the unruly Gor Mahia fans even as a section the goons retaliated by throwing stones at the law enforcers.

ONE GAME AWAY

Rama Salim scored a spectacular goal for Gor after Timonah Wanyoni and Godfrey Walusimbi linked up nicely on the left end.

 Gor however lost steam mid-way through the first half. Jesse Were came off the bench to level matters with a low right-foot effort inside the area in the 54th minute.

Tusker is now 90 minutes away from retaining the crown they won last term when they overcame a stubborn Thika United in the finals through penalty lotteries.

For Gor, the pain stretches further. In 2012, Tusker grabbed the league title from their nose in the final round of matches and tossed them out of the Top Eight last year at the same stage.

In match of two halves, Gor were in command of  first  interval and looked on course to bagging the final’s ticket when the red hot Rama’s dink found the back of Tusker’s net in the 59th minute  but he was ruled  for outside.

The match also marked the return of Gor’s deputy coach John ‘Bobby’ Ogolla to the touchline after a three- week battle with kidney complication but the man christened the “six million dollar man” by club fans was given a standing ovation shortly before kickoff.

Tusker however had a game plan and ensured that Ogolla’s return ended in a bitter defeat.

The Francis Kimanzi coached side began sloppily which at one time saw the  at players trade accusation after conceding the first goal  but they soon settled into the game with the 2011 best player Kevin Kimani coming close with his rebound free kick but he was thwarted by Jerim Onyango in Gor’s goal.

Tusker will now meet the aggregate winner between Kenya Commercial Bank and AFC Leopards in the grand finale.