Tusker head coach Robert Matano is sitting on the edge of being fired after the Brewers suffered a 1-0 FKF Premier League defeat against Gor Mahia at Kasarani Stadium yesterday.

Ahead of the matchday seven fixture, the Brewers chairman Charles Gacheru had warned Matano to make sure that they beat K’Ogalo or else he would be fired alongside his technical bench. In response, Matano asked Gacheru to go ahead and fire him even before the game insisting he was not afraid of losing his job.

Back to the game, it was the defending champions, who looked lively in the opening exchanges and they almost took the lead with only seven minutes played when striker Benson Omalla found himself with enough space inside Tusker’s danger zone but his weak effort was saved by goalkeeper Brian Bwire.

In the 21st minute, Omalla finally broke the deadlock when he dived to head home a cross from Patrick Sibomana and give K’Ogalo the lead. This was Omalla’s seventh goal of the season from seven matches. Tusker, who had lost their previous fixture 1-0 against promoted side Shabana, almost drew level in the 35th minute when James Kibande combined well with Ibrahim Joshua, but K’Ogalo keeper Kevin Omondi was quick to come out and foil the danger.

At the start of the second half, Matano made three changes for Tusker, Deogratious Ojok, Eric Kapaito, and Eric Zakayo coming in for Joshua, Shaphan Siwa, and James Kibande. However, it was K’Ogalo, who continued to threaten the Brewers and Omalla’s half-volley after another beautiful cross from Sibomana was pushed out to a fruitless corner by Bwire in the 56th minute.

Tusker’s comeback for at least a draw suffered a huge blow in the 84th minute when defender Mike Kibwage was sent off following a clumsy challenge on Omalla. With one man down, the Brewers resorted to play defensively to avoid conceding another goal but it was Gor Mahia, who had the last laugh, registering their fourth win of the season and cutting Posta Rangers’ lead at the top of the 18-team table to one point. The defeat saw Tusker drop to 11th position with eight points.

Meanwhile, despite bringing in new coach Tomas Trucha to replace the fired Tom Juma, AFC Leopards continued with their poor run after suffering a 1-0 defeat against Bandari at Mbaraki Sports Club. Ingwe are going through a very difficult spell which has seen them play six matches without a win.

And against Bandari, Ingwe fans thought with Trucha taking over the wheels, they would register their first victory of the campaign but it was not the case as Derrick Nsibambi scored what turned out to be the winner in the 57th minute after being put through by James Kinyanjui.

In an early kick-off, Kariobangi Sharks came from a goal down to force a 1-1 draw against visiting Muhoroni Youth at Kasarani Stadium. Collins Neto had put Muhoroni ahead in the 50th minute after he capitalized on a defensive mistake to tap home but Sharks waited until the 81st minute to snatch a draw courtesy of Geoffrey Onyango.

At the Sudi Stadium, Kakamega Homeboyz needed a 60th-minute goal via striker Moses Shummah to carry maximum points while Bidco United settled for a 1-1 draw against Murang’a Seal FC.