Ten-woman Bandari Queens thrash Gitothua to boost playoff push

The home side found the net through Happy Muta, Saumu Mnyanzi, Agnes Olesi, Salama Gaone, and Irene Namale. At the same time, Gitothua’s only goal came via an own goal by Catherine Kanga late in the match.

Happy Muta opened the scoring in the 21st minute, reacting quickest to a rebound after Gitothua goalkeeper Christine Lumwaji parried an initial effort. Bandari Queens looked in control early on, though striker Agnes Olesi missed two clear chances to extend the lead.

The match took a dramatic turn in the 38th minute when Muta was sent off for foul play, reducing the hosts to ten players. Despite the setback, Bandari held firm and went into halftime with a 1-0 advantage.

They wasted no time after the restart, with Saumu Mnyanzi doubling the lead just a minute into the second half, heading home from a well-delivered cross by Mercyline Mwalimu.

Gitothua Starlets had a golden opportunity to get back into the game in the 49th minute when they were awarded a penalty after Lucy Kagege was fouled in the box. However, Cynthia Nelima’s effort was brilliantly saved by Bandari's goalkeeper Belinda Akinyi.

Agnes Olesi made amends for her earlier misses in the 56th minute, unleashing a powerful long-range strike that clipped the crossbar before bouncing into the net. Substitute Salama Gaone, then added a fourth, capitalising on a loose ball in the box and lobbing it over the keeper.

Irene Namale sealed the rout in the 80th minute, finishing off a well-worked move initiated by captain Eve Chemutai, calmly dribbling past the goalkeeper before slotting into an empty net.

Gitothua grabbed a late consolation seven minutes from time when Bandari substitute Catherine Kanga accidentally turned the ball into her own net following a mix-up with goalkeeper Akinyi.

Bandari Queens comfortably held on for the win, reinforcing their push for a top-two finish.

After the match, head coach Jonathan Washe praised his team’s performance and determination.

“It was a must-win for us, and I’m happy we delivered. Since our last game against Hildana, we’ve shown great character and resilience. We’re making progress as we aim for a second-place finish and a WKPL playoff spot,” he said.

Gitothua Starlets head coach John Baraka expressed frustration with his team’s missed opportunities.

“We had chances to get back into the game, but failed to take them. They were a player down, and we even got a penalty, but we didn’t convert. We have to take responsibility for the loss,” he admitted.