To say that the draw against Mombasa Sports Club was a disappointment would be a lie. The team was more than frustrated by the outcome and was eager to bounce back in the next game. However, early on challenges had already come up, a significant portion of the team let’s call the “beachy boys” had spent the better part of the night in Mtwapa while others had broken camp with Mama Fatuma but that is a story for another day. As the van rushed towards Mbaraki it was clear that this match provided a different opponent in the Mombasa sun. if the referee was a big enemy against Mombasa sports club, the sun was our biggest enemy for the match. No sooner had we arrived than PSC top striker Yegotov had drowned five liters of the team's water. The team was unlucky to find that Bandari FC was having an internal friendly and while it was a joy to watch, the team was being roasted alive and the prospect of playing when the sun was at its zenith was not inviting at all. Bandari Wazee tried to intervene temporarily stopping former super 8 champions Bandari from continuing their practice session but it all turned into an ugly internal conflict that is better not talked about. In the end, Bandari finished their internal match, and at 10:30 the sun kissing our foreheads the game kicked off. Kama kawa kama dawa Babu was in goal, and combative defender Waire at right-back left-footed mercenary Lefty Keya was deployed at left-back while Kamdam looked to overcome his fight jetlag with a start for the match pairing with Izzoh who had already put a man of the match performance in the first game. Bassanga looked to provide some steel in the middle of the pack and was supported by PSC player of the year Chubar and Captain Fantastic Collinso. Major Rasco looked to provide speed on the width while Doobiz looked to chase the first goal in Mombasa. Hat trick hero Sisco led the line having broken his two-month scoring duck in the previous match. With the heat already being a problem, there was no need for warm-up as the players were already burning up. The Bandari players were better adapted to the heat as their fast-paced one-touch passes appeared to split PSC like a hot knife to butter. Soon the team realized that running was not providing the necessary solution as the team was burning up with no output. The team began slowing the game as short passes were exchanged, Kamdam proving conductor at the back as together with Izzoh, Lefty and Waire enjoyed much possession with the ball. This allowed Bassanga to prove dominant at the center of the pack as the team started creating chances. Chubar was effective in releasing Rasco on the left but Rasco's final ball was wanting as he gifted the Bandari goalkeeper. The first chance, however, fell to the man on form Sisco but his thunderous shot did not find the target. However, in the second time of asking, Chubar chipped over the defense releasing Sisco who easily controlled the ball before slotting to the back of the net. 1-0. Bandari reacted by upping their game as they increased pressure proving dangerous in dead ball situations as PSC struggled with the heat. With Lefty beaten at the wing, Izzoh drew in a foul at the edge of the 18-yard box allowing Bandari to increase pressure on the team. A well-floated free-kick to the post had the team control the ball to the back of the net. 1-1 game on. The game resumed with Bandari on the front foot. As the heat proved the ultimate enemy, the ground claimed its first victim as Bassanga suffered from dead-leg forcing an early substitution as Zlatan jumped into the fray. Soon after the goalkeeper stopped the match for a much-needed water break as the team continued its battle with the menacing sun. A minute break and the game was back on, this time Parklands on the strong foot. Rasco's brilliant run ended in a cutback for Captain Colinso who turned and curved the ball missing the goal by millimeters with the goalkeeper already beaten. Another glorious chance fell to Doobiz but his effort went wide. Kamdam recovering the ball from defense proved that jetlag is a myth as he played a one-two with Waire and dislodge Doobiz on the wing to spring the length of the pitch to the right by the corner. With the striker racing in to receive the delivery, energy forsook him as he decided to pass to the goalkeeper instead. As Kamdam recovered, it was Zlatan who almost cost the team when a mistime pass back to Babu fell to an opponent but the one-on-one master Babu was able to cover the mistake. “ni kazi ya watoto kuficha uchi wa mzazi” But who is Zlatan? Zlatan is the man who rises from his mistakes, picking the ball from Chubar and releasing Sisco who made no mistake his left foot thumping the ball to the back of the net for his second goal of the day. And with that, the action of the first half ended with Parklands heading for a victory. Coach Nicko ranked in the substitutes as the heat was proving a dangerous phenomenon Droopy having enjoyed a great outing against Mombasa sports club looked to put in another solid performance as he came in for Lefty while Mitch having served his one-match ban looked to last more than ten minutes as he was thrown in for Waire. Delle Mutua having proved incisive as a number 10 was sent in for Captain Collinso. Ogochee took over the armband as he slotted in place of Doobiz. The second half started where the first half started with Bandari waiting for the heat to soften the hardened PSC before they go for the kill. Even a woman is romanticized and smothered before going for the kill. However, before PSC fully settled Zlatan became a second victim of the heat as hobbled off the ground to be replaced by Brian Yego. With the coach feeling the loss of his most experienced player, Delle Mutua was deployed deeper to sit alongside Brian Yego as it required two to do the work that Zlatan had been doing on the field. Chubar was deployed further in the field and as Sisco spurned up another chance to get a hat trick the coach was faced to play in his final trump card top striker Kiptoo Yegotov. Understanding the task at hand, the burly six-foot striker wasted no moment in showing why he's the most lethal striker in PSC. Chubar’s cross-field pass found Yegotov on the right with the striker only taking a tough to control the ball, lifting his head to spot the position of the goalkeeper, and with his second touch of the ball scored the third after having been on the field for two seconds. Yegotov would be unlucky that the match was not being recorded as he would have been cashing in Guinness World Record having surpassed current record holder, Lord Nicolas Bendtner. It marked the fifth goal contribution of team Ugali Kitungu which had also been represented by Sisco on previous occasions. The goal was enough to kill the morale of Bamburi Wazee as the team was proving formidable, not allowing them to create any chances as they soldiered the heat to come out with a famous victory at Mbaraki Stadium. a big up to the team for braving the heat especially to the players who played the full halves to ensure the team walked away with the win.
