FC Talanta’s two-all draw against Kariobangi Sharks during their opening match of the FKFPL 2022/23 campaign at Kasarani Stadium came as a shocker to many as Sharks were seen as the clear favorites going into the match.However, a statistical analysis facilitated by Sports Performance Analyst Nick Kimanthi via Sportscode of the events of the match shows that Talanta did not bag a point in the match out of sheer luck but instead worked for it, almost matching Sharks in every aspect of the match.Technology that could help Kenyan team sports catapult to the topThe Ken Kenyatta-coached side, normally known for their powerplay most of the time, specifically the use of long balls dominated the match and had much time on the ball at 51.5% compared to Sharks’ 48.5%.Absurd as it may sound, Talanta’s players attempted a total of 232 passes, but the passing accuracy was poor at 55% with only 132 of those passes finding their intended destination.##NAJAVA_MECA_6833926##William Muluya’s charges were the better team on that front, attempting a total of 252 passes and with a pass completion rate of 67%, where 169 passes were completed. That does not come as a surprise given that keeping the ball is Sharks’ forte alongside their sleek passing.Kariobangi Sharks passes breakdown vs Talanta’s passes breakdownThe most number of passes that Talanta strung in an instance was nine, the same as Kariobangi Sharks. However, the latter had the most pass strings with 22 while Talanta had 16.While Muluya’s charges had five strings with at least six passes, Talanta had only one string with more than six passes and had most of their pass strings with three to five passes per string.Kariobangi Sharks had better passing accuracy in the attacking third. Out of 57 passes on that front, 45 were complete with only five going astray. That is the area where Talanta were poorest, managing to only complete 20 passes out of the 42 that they attempted.Kariobangi Sharks pass strings vs Talanta’s pass stringsOne would expect that the tough-tackling Talanta would have given away the most number of fouls but it was not the case. Both sides had 18 freekicks each which show the combative nature of the match.Talanta might not have had the best preparation going into the match, but perhaps their did sweat for the point on the field.
