Nairobi United have secured their place in the final of the Mozzart Bet Cup after edging out Mara Sugar through penalties in a tense semifinal clash held at Dandora Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The game ended in a 1-1 draw and had to be decided from the penalty spot. Naibois won 3-1 in the shootout.The match, originally scheduled for Afraha Stadium, was controversially moved to Dandora Stadium ,United’s home ground, a decision that was opposed by Mara Sugar. However, the FKF Leagues and Competitions Committee upheld the change, and the semifinal proceeded as planned.##NAJAVA_MECA_8957778##Nairobi United’s impressive cup run saw them eliminate Global Connections, Tusker FC, KCB FC, and Kakamega Homeboyz FC in the rounds of 64, 32, 16, and the quarterfinals respectively.Mara Sugar, on the other hand, pulled off upsets over Webuye Sportiff, AFC Leopards, Compel FC, and Kenya Police FC to reach the semifinals.Were sets lofty target after bagging World Championships slotThe opening half was cagey, with both sides struggling to gain a foothold. The Naibois had a few half chances, but Mara Sugar goalkeeper Evans Omondi remained sharp, even expressing visible frustration with his defense for allowing the hosts too much space.As the first half wore on, Nairobi United began to grow into the game. The attacking trio of Isaac Omweri, Duncan Omala, and Frank Ouya began to trouble Mara Sugar’s backline, winning several corners but failing to convert them. Omala came closest to scoring before the break, but Omondi stood tall to deny him twice, ensuring a goalless first half.After the restart, Nairobi took control of the match. Omweri’s energy and trickery down the flanks constantly unsettled Mara Sugar’s defense.The pressure finally paid off in the 54th minute, when substitute Michael Karamor , introduced at halftime , broke the deadlock, latching onto a corner kick and firing home to send the home crowd into celebration.The focus area for Omanyala after Kip Keino setbackMara Sugar responded almost immediately. Just four minutes later, Lameck Omondi equalized with a spectacular strike from the edge of the box, leveling the tie at 1-1.Both sides pushed for a winner, with Nairobi United especially dominant in the attacking third but wasteful in front of goal and in the end, the game had to be decided from the penalty spot.Naibois now progress to the Mozzart Bet Cup final, where not only the Ksh 2 million prize money is at stake but also a coveted CAF Confederation Cup qualification slot. They will face Gor Mahia.Ex-Leopards midfielder calls for security beef-up as Mashemeji derby heads to HomabayIn the penalty shootout, Nairobi triumphed 3-1 over Mara Sugar. John Otieno, Brian Ogutu, and Rodgers Angal all converted their spot-kicks for United, while Gideon Omondi sent his effort over the bar.For Mara Sugar, only Fredrick Ng’iela found the back of the net, as Erick Juma, Haun Thomas, and Robert Obaga all missed their penalties, sealing their exit from the Mozzart Bet Cup.
