It was a dramatic encounter that saw three red cards issued as Bandari FC edged out Kariobangi Sharks 2-1 in an ill-tempered league match held at Dandora Stadium on a Saturday afternoon.
As the first half approached its end, center referee Sulwe reached into his left pocket twice to brandish the red card. The first recipient was Sharks center back Timothy Ekhavi, who received his marching orders after earning a second yellow card. Ekhavi had been cautioned in the 29th minute for dissent following a yellow card shown to his teammate, Biron Otieno.
Ekhavi’s dismissal did not sit well with the Sharks players, who surrounded the referee in protest. Their technical bench joined in after the halftime whistle.
In an unusual display of frustration, Sharks head coach William Muluya charged toward Sulwe, accompanied by goalkeepers’ trainer Sammy Okinda, to voice their discontent. However, Sulwe was not receptive to their outburst and subsequently issued a red card to Muluya, while Okinda managed to escape expulsion.
Quick-thinking Sharks players, led by skipper Kevin Otiala, restrained the agitated Muluya to prevent him from approaching the referee any further, while Okinda continued to argue his case.
Adding to the chaos, Sharks kit manager Paul Otieno and the club’s head of security intervened to pull Okinda away from the officials. Bandari striker Beja Nyamawi also received a red card late in the second half after carelessly earning his second caution of the match. After being booked in the 12th minute, Nyamawi lost his composure and kicked the ball away to disrupt a quick restart by Sharks, prompting Sulwe to take action.
Before this moment of madness at the end of the first half, the two teams were tied at 1-1. Bandari had taken the lead in the fourth minute, with veteran striker John Mark Makwata scoring against his former team, marking his first goal at the club. Sharks responded just five minutes later through winger Stephen Bwire, bringing his season’s league goal tally to two.
Bandari controlled the game in the second half with the numerical advantage, with Alfred Tanui scoring the winning goal in the 73rd minute. This result significantly relieved pressure from the shoulders of Bandari head coach Kennedy Odhiambo, as his job was on the line heading into the match. Earlier in the week, Bandari’s boss, Tony Kibwana, had announced that Odhiambo would be dismissed if the team lost to Sharks.
