Kenya: Sofapaka Edged Out of CAF Cup

Sammy Kitula

12 June 2011

Nairobi — Sofapaka’s rollercoaster ride in this year’s Caf Confederations Cup came to a grinding halt after they were eliminated on a 4-3 aggregate by Tunisia’s Club Africain in front of the home crowd at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday.

After losing 3-0 in the first leg played in Tunis a fortnight ago, goals from Dodo Kayombo (41st minute), John Baraza (71st) and John Onami (85th) couldn’t salvage Francis Kimanzi’s ship as they were knocked out on aggregate, despite winning 3-1 on Sunday.

Ezekiel Ndouassol put his side ahead after 24 minutes thanks to a lapse in the defence and that must have rattled the Kenyan side.

The game was played from the first minute to the last, at Sofapaka’s tempo, and there was one big reason why the 3-1 final score was not as embarrassing a landslide as it had threatened to be.

First impressions can be deceptive and so it proved here when Ndouassol left Edgar Ochieng and John Njoroge for the dead as he scored the first goal after 24 minutes.

It was in the other direction that the traffic would flow, virtually incessantly, for the rest of the match.

Sofapaka’s defensive impregnability had been their main feature but here it was all about their attack, with workhorse Baraza in inspirational form. He set the tone in the 10th minute when he forced a Sami Nefzi save.

When Nefzi was beaten, it was because he had no chance. Humphrey Mieno, playing with more maturity, delivered a pass along the ground and through the heart of the Club Africain defence.

Took advantage of mix-up

Kayombo took advantage of the mix-up, to do what he’s never done on international club football with the team: he scored with almost nonchalant craft.

Not for a moment did the Tunisians make hearts beat. Never did they strike fear, the way many expected before the match.

This was a timid, anaemic, outclassed Tunisian team, and frankly not even much of a fighting one.

“I’m glad that we managed to win the match even though we were knocked out of the competition,” said Kimanzi.

AllAfrica – All the Time