No wonder! It's a game stones! By them experts
By Jacob Icia, Citizen Digital
Ugly scenes unfolded at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday when visiting Guinea Bissau scored a late controversial goal in a 1-0 victory against Harambee Stars that confirmed elimination from the Gabon 2017 AFCON in a game that was halted by the officials for over half an hour following the shameful chaos that broke out.
The visitors were on course to complete the double over Stars when a disputed Mendes Suares strike on the 81st minutes sparked carnage as the home team bitterly protested its awarding and after a few minutes, police were forced to fire tear gas as stones and other crude missiles rained from the stands.
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That forced the game to be held up and apart from another dispiriting exit from the biennial continental championship, Kenya now faces severe sanctions from Confederation of African Football (CAF) after the Zimbabwe officials led by centre referee, Norman Matemela stopped the restart until order was finally restored when most of the rioting fans cleared the stadium.
It all started when captain and Southampton FC midfield star, Victor Wanyama gave away the ball needlessly to Fatty Junior whose resultant shot was cleared for a corner.
The ball was then swung in from the left and found its way to far post where Mendes fired in but Norway based keeper, Arnold Origi punched it out, vehemently claiming it did not cross the line. Television replays suggested the keeper, who was booked for his protests was wrong.
Disgusted home fans took the cue from their custodian and started pelting the away side with missiles from the stands sparking the melee and after the match resumed, Stars could not recover from the sucker punch in the six minutes of regulation time that were played after the hold up.
It was the second successive 1-0 defeat to Guinea Bissau by first coach Stanley Okumbi’s side with the visitors moving up to seven points and top of Group E before Zambia traveled to Congo Brazzaville.
Stars remain rock bottom on a single point and the team will be left to gather the ruins of another failed campaign and the repercussions that await them from CAF.
Seeking to make amends following stinging criticism of their limp 1-0 reverse in Bissau on Wednesday, Stars laid siege on their visitors goal from the off, with captain Victor Wanyama, striker Michael Olunga and winger Paul Were who was a menace on the right coming close to break the deadlock.
Were fashioned the first sniff of goal for Kenya in the eighth minute when he broke into a spirited run on the right and turned into the box but he was brought down by Guinea Bissau keeper, Jonas Mendez with the referee waving away his appeals for a spot-kick.
In their only notable incursion to Stars half, Guinea Bissau won a corner in the 16th and Augustino sent his delivery straight to Arnold Origi in the home goal.
Stars continued pressing and in the 22nd, Were who was growing in prominence fired from close range but Mendes got down well to save his effort before seconds later, he unleashed another shot that worked the Guinea Bissau keeper again to bring the crowd to their feet.
And it was three opportunities in rapid succession for the Greece side Kalloni winger when he came within a whisker to connect to a Johanna Omollo delivery inside the box in a move started from midfield by Anthony Akumu.
In the 29th, Olunga turned well in midfield, played the 1-2 with Clifton Miheso before he curled a beauty from the right that fizzled agonizingly wide for Stars.
It was almost inexplicable the game went to half time goalless with keeper Mendes, who was booked on the half hour mark for time wasting, keeping his side in it in a backs-to-the-wall performance from Guinea Bissau.
Akumu, elevated to the starting XI in place of Kariobangi Sharks Patillah Omoto fed Were in the 32nd minute and the winger then fired a low shot that was bound for the target but defender Gomis Mendy cleared.
Tension then swept the stands when two Guinea Bissau players appeared to accost Stars skipper, Wanyama after he was fouled just outside the box but the referee ignored pleas for a free kick.
Olunga then spurned two chances when he was found by Johanna Omollo in the 40th but he opted to find overlapping defender, James Situma whose effort was cleared away for a fruitless corner.
A minute later, the Sweden based Djurgarden striker saw his goal bound header saved by the busy Mendes.
In added time to the half, Omollo, Akumu and Olunga combined beautifully to lay the ball to their captain and Southampton star, Wanyama who unloaded a fierce cracker that fizzled just wide.
At the start of the second half, Okumbi went to the jugular, bringing in striker Jesse Were for utility man James Situma to partner Olunga upfront and the switch almost paid off when they combined to beat Mendes but painfully, they could not convert the opener.
The Zambia Zesco FC forward was found on the right by Omollo and his first touch was scuffed but it still gave Olunga the chance to out-jump the keeper and his header, with the goal gaping, somehow trickled out.
Olunga then fired just wide soon after as the crowd grew restless with anticipation before the besieged Guinea Bissau launched a counter attack that saw Britto Silva shoot one over the bar.
On the stroke of the hour, defender Jockins Atudo got into the fray, failing to hit the target when Mendes punched away an Olunga shot back into the box and in the next attack, Akumu also missed from range.
Mendes Lopez was then booked for simulation in a tussle with Atudo as the visitors attempted another breakaway but back came Stars when Were delivered a wonderful cross into the box from the left but both Olunga and Miheso who rose high failed to connect.
Growing desperate, Okumbi went to the touchline and urged his team to attempt more shots from range and in the 66th Were was well sent through on Wanyama from the left and the winger crossed into the box but Gomis Mendey cleared.
Stars were almost caught out cold when Origi, showed sharp reflexes to palm away a header to the underside of the crossbar to deny Agostinho Suares a classic sucker-punch goal that would have ruthlessly punished the home side for their profligacy in the 70th.
Guinea Bissau coach, Bacino Kande, then hauled off Lopez for Junior as the Stars pressure dropped down a notch when fatigue and disappointment set in.
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