AFC Leopards Held by Kenya Police in a Goalless Thriller at Kasarani
AFC Leopards walked off the Kasarani turf frustrated after failing to convert a string of clear chances in a tense 0-0 draw with Kenya Police. Ingwe dominated key moments, but brilliant goalkeeping and heroic defending denied them a victory that would have pushed them into the title conversation.
AFC Leopards entered the match knowing a win would lift them level with the leading pack in the FKF Premier League. Instead, they were left with a familiar sense of what might have been after a goalless draw with Kenya Police in a match loaded with drama and decisive saves from both goalkeepers.
Ingwe began with purpose, setting the tempo early and carving out their first opportunity inside eight minutes. Tyson Otieno delivered a dangerous ball toward the Police goal, forcing keeper Job Ochieng into a sharp punch under pressure. Seconds later, Masaba forced another reaction save from Ochieng, and Victor Oume arrived for the rebound but failed to generate enough power to trouble the defence.
Leopards created the clearest chance of the half in the fourteenth minute. Omune burst through the back line and struck cleanly, only for Ochieng to produce another excellent low save. Otieno followed up on the loose ball, and again Ochieng reacted quickly to deny him for a second time. Even with the goalkeeper still grounded, David Cheche arrived just in time to snuff out a potential tap-in from James Kinyanjui.
Ingwe kept pushing. Five minutes before halftime, Kinyanjui floated in a teasing freekick that found Randi Bakari at the back post. The opportunity presented itself invitingly, but Bakari failed to make the necessary contact, letting Police off the hook.
The second half opened with another moment of ingenuity from Omune, who attempted an overhead kick after a loose ball fell to him in the box. Ochieng, once again in inspired form, threw himself across goal to parry the effort away. It was becoming clear that beating the Police keeper on this afternoon would require something extraordinary.
As the match approached its final quarter, it was Leopards’ goalkeeper Humphrey Katasi who took centre stage. First, he sprawled full length to push away a fierce long-range strike from Brian Musa. Moments later, with the clock ticking down, Erick Zakayo unleashed a curling shot that seemed destined for the top corner. Katasi reacted brilliantly, tipping it away to preserve the clean sheet.
The game’s final act produced the most agonising moment for Ingwe. Deep into stoppage time, substitute Kelly Madada stretched to poke the ball toward goal with Ochieng beaten. The Kasarani crowd briefly rose in anticipation, but Cheche reacted with lightning speed, racing back to clear the ball off the line with a diving header. It was a heroic intervention that sealed the draw and denied Leopards the victory they craved.
The result pushed Kenya Police to the top of the standings with twenty-one points from eleven matches. Gor Mahia, Kakamega Homeboyz, and Posta Rangers sit just behind them, all on twenty points. AFC Leopards remain sixth with eighteen points, still competitive but left to rue their missed chances on a day they created more than enough to win.
The performance was encouraging, but the finishing lacked sharpness. For Ingwe, the mission now shifts to converting dominance into points as the title race tightens.
