Defending champions Police FC saw their FKF Cup journey come to a shocking end after a dramatic penalty shootout defeat to Mara Sugar, following a 1-1 stalemate in regulation time at Dandora Stadium.
Mara Sugar, the underdogs heading into the quarterfinal clash, drew first blood early on. In just the 10th minute, Fredrick Ng’iela’s low-driven free kick took a wicked deflection off the wall, confusing goalkeeper Emmanuel Erupe. The loose ball landed perfectly for Dennis Cheruyiot, who made no mistake from close range.
The sugar men continued to apply pressure and nearly doubled their lead in the 24th minute. Noah Jagongo found Brian Ochieng with a clever pass, and the latter unleashed a fierce strike, only to be denied by a sharp reflex save from Police FC’s Job Ochieng.
Police responded with purpose and were rewarded in the 30th minute. Mara goalkeeper Evans Omondi misjudged a corner delivery from Mohammed Bajaber, punching it straight into the path of Brian Okoth. The midfielder unleashed a stunning left-footed volley that nestled into the bottom corner, leveling the score.
However, Mara suffered a setback shortly after the equalizer, when their goal scorer Dennis Cheruyiot limped off with an injury and had to be replaced by Erick Juma.
In the second half, tensions rose and so did the stakes. Police FC were reduced to ten men in the 75th minute when veteran defender David ‘Cheche’ Ochieng, already on a yellow card, was shown a second for a deliberate handball while grounded after slipping.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Police managed to hold off Mara until the end of regulation time, forcing the match into a penalty shootout.
What followed was a marathon session of nerves and precision. The shootout featured an astonishing 22 penalties. Police started strong, with Clinton Kinanga and Duncan Ochieng converting their attempts. But their rhythm faltered when Bajaber missed the target and Lameck Omondi rattled the crossbar.
Mara held their composure under pressure, with Ng’iela and Samuel Otieno among those who confidently dispatched their spot-kicks to keep the scores tight.
Eventually, it was Mara Sugar who held their nerve better in the shootout, sealing a famous victory and knocking the cup holders out of the competition in dramatic fashion.
