Ligi Ndogo U17 team showed poise and style as they held their U20 counterparts to a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Ngong' Rd grounds.They started off quietly fending off evident jitters;the U20 dictated the tempo early and for long stretches.Rogers Agini was superbly marshalling the midfield for the upper teens.His deft passes created much space and it allowed him to distribute the ball from one end of the pitch to another.Rogers has featured for Ligi Ndogo ever since he was 17.At one time he tried out for the Senior team that plays in the national league.He is also the mainstay of the team that is poised to feature for Ligi Ndogo in the Sakataball tournament in July this year.
It took a while for the Seventeens to settle but when they did it was evident they were on a mission.First the combination of Keiffi Kay and Desmond Mugambi started punching holes into the U20 defense and as they grew in confidence the defense sodified around Agini,putting him on a can and limiting his offensive effectiveness.Mozamil Sheikh,the U17 captain provided some solid leadership as well as sturdy defending.Zamil has played at Ligi Ndogo since he was an atom.
Still the U20 were more focused and in game mode compared to the 17s.Wingers Malcolm Munoko and Edu were devastating on the flanks,their timed and explosive runs troubling the U17 defense.In the 20th minute Agini threaded the ball through to Edu who beat the offside trap magnificently and clipped goalkeeper Loveday Jude to make it 1-0.
The rest of the first half was uneventful.Both teams shared possesion equally.Of note was the articulate play on all sides.The skill level was evident as both teams showcased an impressive array of individual and team knowledge; though no team really threatened.Edu,however,rudely broke the reverie with a superb strike on the 40th minute mark to stamp his authority and make it 2-0, U20.
The superiority contest dragged into the second half with both teams playing for honors.Coming out more motivated,the U17 crawled out of their perenial start-of-match jitters and started to assert visible authority.John Muwaya subbed in and the change was immediately felt.Five minutes into the second half he juggled around last man Oketch to make the game 2-1.Desmond Mugambi levelled terms with a thunder shot.
A few minutes later John conjured magic.Dribbling in from the flanks he rounded off a defender and as the ball deflected off him and was airborne,simultaneously went over him.His first shot came off a defender.His second attempt was a dummy that left the goalkeeper flatfooted long enough for him to slot the ball past him.
A careless defensive mistake allowed the U20 back in the game.Malcolm made it 3-3 to spare them blushes.
The thrill continues next week.