- Vincent Nyabuto scored the lone goal
- Shabana had not won in five matches
- Pressure now mounts on Tusker’s coach Robert Matano
Shabana FC secured their first win of the 2023-24 FKF Premier League season after stunning 12-time champions Tusker FC by a solitary goal at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani on Saturday.
Vincent Nyabuto headed home a second half winning goal, as Shabana finally cracked three points in their top flight return.
“We really worked hard for this win and getting a victory is massive. Our league has started now. We have been improving in every game and have been working on areas we have been struggling especially how we concede late in games. I am happy that we kept a clean sheet and if we can maintain that, we will be in a good place,” said Shabana’s coach Sammy Okoth.
His opposite number Robert Matano was dejected with the defeat and more so performance of his team.
“We didn’t play according to how we planned. We didn’t have the urgency and composure. We didn’t play well at all. But we pick up from here and hopefully improve in the coming matches. We have now lost two games but I believe we can bounce back,” Matano said.
Shabana proved hungrier
![Shabana defender George Onyango challenges Tusker's Deogratious Ojok](https://i0.wp.com/sportsleo.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2215-scaled.jpg?resize=1000%2C623&ssl=1)
Shabana defender George Onyango challenges Tusker’s Deogratious Ojok
All through the game, Shabana proved to be hungrier and wanted the victory more, as Tusker played a game without a single shot on target.
The closest they came to goal in the first half was when David Odoyo picked up the ball from the edge of the box after a corner headed out landed on his path, but his left footed swinging volley went wide.
On the other end, Shabana were not losing patience as they kept prodding the Tusker backline in search of a goal. They came close in the 28th minute when Dennis Wafula picked up the ball from range and went for goal, but Tusker keeper Brian Bwire made a brilliant save to tip the ball over for a corner.
Shabana were attacking mostly on the set pieces, and Tusker had done just well to ensure they kept them at bay.
In the second half, Shabana started with the same tempo. Just a minute after the restart, Bwire made another brilliant save, this time denying Wycliffe Nthata from close range after he had run behind the defense to volley a deep cross.
Tusker tactician Robert Matano then made changes to revitalize his side, Stewart Omondi and Mike Oduor coming on for new signing Joseph Mwangi and Shaphan Oyugi.
Shabana get their hard work rewarded
![Tusker FC's Shaphan Oyugi goes up against Shabana's George Onyango](https://i0.wp.com/sportsleo.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_1970-scaled.jpg?resize=1000%2C666&ssl=1)
Tusker FC’s Shaphan Oyugi goes up against Shabana’s George Onyango
But, it was Shabana who would get their industry rewarded when Nyabuto glanced in a header from an Aloro freekick in the 70th minute, sending the stadium into frenzy.
Just after conceding, Tusker’s Matano made three more changes, Eric Zakayo, Collins Otieno and Ibrahim Joshua coming on for Odoyo, Deogratious Ojok and Eric Otieno.
Despite pressure, Tusker couldn’t crack the Shabana backline marshalled by their former man Aloro. The visitors used every chance they would get to run down the clock, knowing just how big three points would be for them especially, against a big side like Tusker.
Even with nine minutes of added time, they didn’t crack.
Tusker had come close when the keeper came off his line to claim a cross and missed, but Oduor curled the resultant effort wide off target.
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