Oliver Majak's last-minute equaliser against Tusker earned Kakamega Homeboyz a vital point that ensured they remained at the top of the SportPesa League. Charles Okere's side is building momentum from previous matches after a nightmare start to the season. 

On the other side, Abana Be Ingo are proving to be a force to reckon with, as they are first on the log, one point ahead of Poster Rangers.

In a 1-1 draw at Bukhungu Stadium, both teams were disciplined in their game plan. They stayed compact in both attacking and defensive phases with the aim of denying the opponent the spaces to exploit. 

But how did the Brewers fail to keep their lead after scoring in the early minutes of the second half?

Tusker FC and Kakamega Homeboyz Lineups

The home side, Abana Be Ingo, lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with 3 changes from their starting lineup that won against APS Bomet.

Edwin Mukolwe started between the sticks. Boniface Onyango and John “Bubah” Omondi started in the fullback position as Potifah Odhiambo and Eugene Okoth partnered at the heart of the defence. 

The skipper, Estone Esiye, offered protection to the backline. Glen Otunga and Hillary Otieno were tasked with the creativity of the team. Henry Omollo played as a winger, while Josephat Lopaga and Gideon Bendeka started as two forwards.

For the brewers, head coach Charles Okere set up his side in what looked like a 1-4-2-1-3 formation. Brian Opondo was tasked with manning the goal. Dennis Wanjala and Collins Odhiambo were in the fullback position. 

The captain, Charles Momanyi, started as left centre back with Thomas Teka playing as right centre back. Fabian Adikinyi and Dennis Iguma complemented each other in a double pivot midfield, with Dennis Iguta playing ahead of them. Thomas Omole and Oruko Cliff played as wide players, with Eric Kapaito playing as a forward.

Playing Styles

Kakamega Homeboyz aimed at recycling the possession to bait Tusker’s press.  From goal kicks, Abana Be Ingo's goalkeeper played short with centre backs who advanced the ball to the midfielders and fullbacks. In the buildup, one of the fullbacks, more so John Omondi, moved high up the pitch and stayed wide. 

Once the ball was played to Boniface Onyango, he switched the play with a long ball to find the overlapping John Omondi.

Tusker FC pressed in a passive 1-4-4-2 structure that allowed Homeboyz to have more time on the ball in their defensive third. 

In settled play, Estone Esiye was heavily used to advance the ball while at the same time allowing the fullbacks to overlap to offer an attacking output. Estone Esiye dropped between two centre-backs, allowing the home side to have a secure rest defence. His performance earned him the highest rating in the match.

However, Tusker FC were keen to exploit the vacated spaces by fullbacks with quick transitions with their wide players, especially Thomas Omole and Oruko Cliff. Dennis Oalo’s goal resulted from Tusker exploiting Homeboyz’s poor rest defence.

Fabian Adikinyi pressed Eugene Okoth, causing him to lose the ball. With Boniface Onyango overlapping, Dennis Oalo pounced on the loose ball in the half space before shooting past Edwin Mukolwe.

Defensively, Tusker FC's double pivot of Fabian Adikinyi and Dennis Iguma was instrumental in stopping Homeboyz transitions. The movement of the pivot was well calculated, and they knew when to press and when to stay in the block to deny Homeboyz any chance of exploiting their spaces.

In attack, Tusker FC often found their build-up play stifled, unable to move the ball effectively from their goalkeeper or through open play. Their goal kick routine offered no variety, always defaulting to the left side with a programmed sequence of passes from Omondi to Momanyi to Wanjala.

The Brewers' initial attacking strategy, hoofing the ball long, failed immediately, with the left-back's hopeful clearances toward Eric Kapaito or Dennis Iguta easily claimed by the dominant Homeboyz pairing of Potifah Odhiambo and Eugene Okoth.

However, Tusker found success when they transitioned to ground play. Fabian Adikinyi and Dennis Iguma were key to this shift, dropping into the backline to provide passing options for the fullbacks and centre-backs.

Once the pivot secured possession or won the second ball, they quickly distributed to the wingers (Oruko and Thomas Omole). These combinations exploited the open channels left by the stretched Homeboyz defence, becoming the visitors' most effective offensive threat.

Kakamega Homeboyz Technical Tweak

After conceding a goal, Patrick Odhiambo twisted his side by introducing Oliver Majak for Glen Otunga and Rodgers Ouma for Gideon Bendeka. The technical abilities of the two allowed Homeboyz to keep the ball for most minutes of the second half. 

With his ball-carrying ability, Oliver Majak was tasked to play as a central attacking midfielder in the right half-space.  

Majak’s introduction gave Tusker a dilemma in defending. By constantly pulling his markers wide, he created crucial gaps that John Omondi exploited with runs into the defence’s blind spot. These movements facilitated wide combinations with the winger, which Homeboyz consistently used to break down Tusker’s shape on the right side.

Omondi's crosses caused havoc for the Brewers, making Brian Opondo busy on most occasions in the second half.

Key Match Stats

This season, Kakamega Homeboyz has relied on the fullbacks to create chances in the final third. The fullbacks look at delivering early crosses, which are easily converted by their wide players.

Feature Image credit: Kakamega Homeboyz