The Mozzart Bet Cup round of 16 served up a sumptuous fixture. Kenya Police FC versus Ulinzi Stars christened the “Risasi Derby” was billed as the highlight fixture of the round with the country waiting to see who would ‘bite the bullet ‘and it really lived up to the expectation.In this analytical piece, we set to look at how the game was lost and won on the touchline with the two tinkering tacticians substitutions.The much hyped encounter was hosted at the Police Sacco stadium , the inaugural game for Kenya Police FC at their new homeground and what a way to curtain raise a stadium.Kenya Police tactician set his side in a 1-4-2-3-1 shape with heavy emphasis on midfield overloads and using the qualitative superiority of Duke Abuya and Elvis Rupia to cause havoc in the Ulinzi defense. In goal was Job Ochieng, with Kenyan International Patrick Matasi rested for this encounter. The fullback positions were occupied by Aboud Omar and Eric Juma. Coach Francis Baraza opted for a centreback partnership of Silicho Simiyu and Musa Mohammed. The midfield double pivot consisted of Ouma Charles and Marvin Nabwire with midfield maestro Patillah Omotto missing due to an injury. The wide positions were occupied by David Okoth and Kahata Francis with Duke Abuya occupying the number 10 position and Elvis Rupia leading the line.
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Ulinzi Stars Coach Bernard Mwalala opted for Sylvaine Ricks in goal, the fullback positions were occupied by the experienced duo of Brian Birgen and Omar Mbongi with a centreback partnership of Andayi Bonface and Bonventure Muchika. In the midfield the double pivot consisted of Issa Lumumba and Ongoma Bernard with John Kago playing in the advanced midfield role. The front three consisted of Bonface Muchiri, Enosh Ochieng and Clinton”Aguero” Omollo with Coach Mwalala’s emphasis on rotations and wide overloads on display. Big spenders Police FC staring at longer trophy droughtKenya Police FC had a plan on overloading the double pivot with midfield quantitative superiority. Coach Baraza looked to invert Francis Kahata and form a box midfield with Marvin Nabwire, Ouma Charles and Duke Abuya. This midfield overload saw Police FC boss the proceedings in the opening phases of the game with the midfield four boxing in the Ulinzi midfield, this coupled with Duke Abuya’s movement between the lines and the team creating an overload on the left caused problems for Ulinzi structure. This issue brought about the opening goal and chance for Police FC through dragging out Omar Mbongi and hitting the space in behind for the resulting cross that was handled leading into a penalty. That Elvis Rupia calmly slotted.##NAJAVA_MECA_7142676##The midfield overload and side movements played by Police caused problems for Ulinzi stars in progresion of play withe Ouma Charles screening John Kago while Marvin Nabwire looked to sniff out the danger by cutting passing lanes and disrupting play. This forced Ulinzi to bypass the midfield and look to hit balls into the channels for Boniface Muchiri, Clinton Omollo and the overlapping runs of Brian Birgen. This saw Ulinzi result to crosses which the Police team dealt with well. Police FC headed into the break on the up.Second HalfUlinzi have been resolutely strong in their second half performances this season and this was something Kenya Police FC should have been wary off. With the second half starting Coach Mwalala brought out his big hitters in Staphod Odhiambo the creative young lad from Bondo and club top scorer Simiyu Hillary. This saw a shift and more threat from Ulinzi as the team now gained more control. Ouma Charles got a yellow card as he was tightly marking Staphod Odhiambo as they knew the danger he possesses. The yellow to Ouma Charles seemed to destabilise the midfield and this saw coach Baraza hook off Marvin Nabwire and David Okoth. This action saw Francis Kahata drop deep to form a double pivot with Ouma Charles.These subsistituons caused Police to relinquish their threat from wide with the 1v1 trickery of David Okoth and the midfield robustness of Marvin Nabwire. Sibling Love: Nyoka’s burning desire to join big brother Humphrey Mieno in top flight footballCoach Mwalala countered this by bringing on Stephen Etyang and Masita Masuta. As Police no longer posed a threat on the transitions in behind, Ulinzi now looked to overload the central areas and look to gain possibilities of 1v1 situations outwide with Muchiri Bonface and Stephen Etyang. This action caused Ulinzi to get their first goal from some Stephen Etyang trickery earning a penalty that was cooly slotted by Muchiri Boniface.Ulinzi now had their tails up and being the fittest team in the league pushed further up with Ongoma asserting his dominance in the midfield. The hooking off of Elvis Rupia and Ouma to bring in David Cheche Owino and Lesley Owino and drop Kahata out wide made Police lose more control as Staphod and Ulinzi sub Masinde run rings around the experienced Cheche. This coupled with the fading legs of Aboud Omar saw Ulinzi target him, with overlapping runs from Birgen. It was from this side that Ulinzi let in a cross late in the fame that was coolly dispatched by Masinde. To see the KDF advance to the quarter final.It was a tough game that came down to the substitutions and details that Mwalala got right. Police will now look to dust off and push in the league to be able to realize their dream of representing Kenya in the continental competition.
