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Ingwe dominated opening half but threw away their lead to the Bankers.
Title chasers KCB did little to their chances of winning a first ever premier league trophy despite clawing back from two goals down to share spoils with AFC Leopards at Kasarani Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The match was characterized by nothing but unusual player communication echos around Kasarani Stadium, given the ban imposed on AFC Leopards’s fans from attending their next 4 games following the unrest they created against Kakamega Homeboyz in Kakamega a week ago.
However, Leopards proved they could do it without their support and the infectious atmosphere usually created by their Isikuti instrumentalists.
Ingwe took the early lead in the third minute through winger, Peter Thiong’o with a left-footed tame shot into the bottom right corner of the net after a concentration lapse by the KCB defence left keeper Bryne Omondi helpless.
Defender Robert Mudenyu had the chance to extend the host’s lead in the 10th minute when he got on the end of a well executed cross by Eric Mbithi, but his effort went way off the mark.
The game was fairly even from then on, but in the 29th minute, KCB's Maurice Owino was lucky to escape punishment when he appeared to foul Leopard’s Nigerian forward, Ojo Olayini.
Two minutes later, Leopards' custodian, Lewis Opiyo was tested for the first time as a neat header by Musa Masika nearly beat the league's top clean sheet holder.
Opiyo would put his skills to the test yet again, as another well-worked KCB move found Michael Mutinda inside the box, but his shot just could not beat the keeper.
Leopards would deal nicely with the resulting corner kick before setting up a counter-attack involving nice switches of play between Olayini and Thiong'o , but Olayini was caught offside.
Leopards would win a penalty just before the break after Olanyi was fouled inside the area. Captain, Eugine Mukangula would not disappoint, expertly converting it by drilling a low shot into the bottom right corner.
KCB head-coach, Zedekiah “Zico” Otieno needed to find answers at half-time. Whatever he told his players worked , as they came out a different team in the second-half.
Cliff Oruko’s goal sparked belief into the Bankers, and the game was on. Masika’s pace down the left flank was a constant problem to Leopards’ right back Boniface Mukhekhe, and he made two dangerous crosses that Opiyo did well to deal with.
The Bankers continued to mount pressure.In the 72nd minute, they had a chance to level the score when they won a freekick just near the edge of the area, but Masika’s attempted low drilled shot could not get past Leopard’s wall.
KCB’s appeal for a red card to Opiyo for hitting Henry Onyango when he rushed out of his area to win the ball when he was through on goal in the 77th minute fell on deaf ears, as the referee saw nothing wrong with the challenge.
The bankers needed a hero to turn the waves of attack into something meaningful, and it came in the form of two substitutes combining. Francis Kahiro got on the end of a cross from Nicholas Kipkirui off the right-flank to level the tie.
Leopards were able to hold their nerve, and the game ended all square for the sides. The result means KCB remain 4th on 49 points while Leopards are 6th on 41 points.
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