Stars thrash Mauritius

08 Oct, 2015 By Kariuki Mwangi

Category: Football
Tag : Harambee stars Font size -16+

Kenya thrashed Mauritius 5-2 in the first leg of a 2018 World Cup pre-qualifier in Port Louis on Wednesday to set the pace ahead of the next set of matches next month.

Johanna Omolo was on fire bagging a brace as Ayub Timbe, Michael Olunga and Harun Shakava wrapped Kenya,s first victory since beating Comoros 1-0 in 2014.

The teams will meet again in the return leg in Nairobi on Sunday with Mauritius needing to win by four clear goals. Anything less will see Kenya through to the next round wher they will face Cape Verde

Although among the continets minnows, Coach Bobby Williamson will relish in the victory after he made major surgery to the loosing side against Zambia in the Afcon qualifiers last month. Williamson brought Boniface Oluoch in goal while Edwin Wafula, David Ochieng, Shakava and Dennis Odhiambo made up the back four.

Skipper Victor Wanyama anchored a defence that also included Omolo, Timbe and Anthony Akumu while Allan Wanga and Michael Olunga started upfront.

Stars went ahead on 20 minutes when Olunga controlled Odhiambo’s long throw in before finding Omolo with a low cross and the midfielder made no mistake from close range.

Mauritius goalkeeper Jean Louis then had to be at his best to push Timbe’s freekick onto the upright three minutes later.

Timbe would however not be denied making it 2-0 after curling the resultant corner straight into the net at the far post.

Stunned by the two goal salvo, Mauritius tried to get back into the game with Fabien Pithia testing Oluoch with a right footed effort on26 minutes before Bru saw another freekick gobbled up by the keeper two minutes later.

There was a heart in the mouth for Stars on 33 minutes when Oluoch spilled the ball under pressure from Perticot but he recovered to keep out the resultant cross.

Kenya made it 3-0 four minutes after the restart when Shakava lashed the ball home off an Olunga header back across goal for his first international goal.

Mauritius rallied however pulling a goal back in the 66th minute after substitute Musa Mohammed brought down Andy Sophie in the box to concede a penalty. Sophie dusted himself up and coolly slotted home spotkick.

The hosts made it 3-2 12 minutes from time when skipper Jonathan Bru scrambled the ball home after Kenya had failed to clear a freekick in the box.

But with Mauritius threatening to equalize, Kenya put daylight between the two sides with two quick goals.

First Omolo scored his second of the evening on 83 minutes heading home a Kevin Amwayi cross.

Then Olunga got his name on the scoresheet racing onto an Omolo pass and sliding the ball past Jean Loius to wrap up the victory.

Stars thrash Mauritius

Write a comment below