When Kariobangi Sharks needed something special to break the stubborn defence mounted by Zetech Titans, 14-year-old Nicholas Onyango, rose from the bench and provided the answer to inspire his side to the Mozzart Bet Cup Round of 16.Sharks had tried all the tricks in their books to poke holes in the Titans’ back line and assure themselves a place in the next round of the tournament,but had to deal with frustrations as the Bernard Kitolo-coached side responded in equal force,for the better part of the game.Coach William Muluya introduced a couple of experienced players in his bid for a breakthrough, but shooting past Titans’ goalkeeper William Odek was not a walk in the park.##NAJAVA_MECA_8763445##Introducing one of the skillful teenagers, however, made the difference as he weaved past his markers before laying the ball to Ally Salum, who scored the lone goal in the 85th minute.The goal scorer would have ordinarily received all the praises, but Sharks players celebrated by hoisting Onyango high, with fans on the stands giving him a standing ovation for his skills.His on-song elder brother and teammate, Andreas Odhiambo, who was following the proceedings from the stands, could not help but marvel at the confidence and composure his sibling had demonstrated.What will Harambee Stars’ philosophy be under McCarthy?Titans had managed to absorb pressure from the Premier League side, especially in the opening minutes of the first half, with their backline working overtime to keep the hungry Sharks at bay.The third tier side was not entirely doing all the defensive work, as many would have thought before kick off, as they managed to catch Sharks on transition, but their finishing let them down. Odek, standing tall in between the Titans’ sticks, pulled a couple of saves and made timely runs off the line to bail his defenders whenever they had been caught off guard or overwhelmed.His Sharks counterpart, Bernard Jairo, was also good when coming off his territory, given the high line defense the team had embraced in the match. Gor Captain rallies senior players to guide title defenseWhile Sharks needed a student to get the business of the day done, defending champions Kenya Police had their senior most striker Clinton Kinanga to thank as his sole goal earned them a 1-0 win over MOFA.The match was staged at Kenyatta Stadium in Mamboleo, Kinanga, who was recently promoted from a police Constable to Corporal, struck the winning goal in the second half.
