KCB FC reignited their FKF Premier League campaign on Tuesday afternoon, grinding out a slim 1-0 victory over a wasteful Posta Rangers at the Kasarani Annex.
The win marks a turning point for the Bankers, who arrived at the pitch bruised from a three-match slump and a recent disappointing loss to Nairobi United.
The hero of the day was veteran midfielder Francis Kahata, whose clinical instinct proved to be the difference in a game defined by fine margins and missed opportunities.
The encounter began as a cagey affair, with both sides struggling to find rhythm on the lush Annex turf. However, the game turned on its head in a chaotic sixty-second window during the first quarter.
In the 22nd minute, Posta’s Reagan Otieno thought he had broken the deadlock, only for the assistant referee to pull him back for offside.
KCB responded with a lightning-fast counter-attack. A stinging shot was parried by Posta keeper Bixente Otieno, falling perfectly into the path of Kahata.
The former Gor Mahia man made no mistake, slotting home his debut goal for the club and sending the KCB technical bench into a frenzy.
Posta Rangers will look back at this fixture as a case of “what could have been.” Their pursuit of an equalizer was relentless but lacked the finishing touch.
Just before halftime, they were handed a lifeline when Nashon Wekesa handled the ball inside the area. Youngster Teddy Trevor took the responsibility from twelve yards, but his powerful strike crashed against the frame of the goal.
The second half saw Posta head coach ring the changes, introducing the likes of Eliud Lokuwam and the much-hyped “Bunge La Wananchi” star Brian Otieno.
The pressure intensified, and the woodwork again came to KCB’s rescue in the 55th minute when both Crucial Wasambo and Lokuwam saw their efforts ricochet off the upright within seconds of each other.
Despite a late communication breakdown between KCB keeper Elvis Ochieng and his defense that almost allowed Lokuwam to loop the ball into an empty net, the Bankers held their nerve.
The defensive unit, reinforced in the closing stages, repelled every high ball the Mailmen threw their way.
The three points propel KCB from 10th to 6th on the log with 25 points. For Posta Rangers, the search for a win continues as they drop to 11th, having now gone five matches without a taste of victory.
