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Hull City return game for July in Nairobi


The return leg of the friendly match between Kenya’s SportPesa All Stars and English Premier League club Hull City has been confirmed for July this year at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

This was made public on Monday during a luncheon organised by sponsors SportPesa in honour of the Kenyan team that played against Hull City in the first leg on February 27 at the KCOM Stadium in Hull.

Despite having lost 2-1 to Hull City, the Kenyan select side was presented with a cash reward of Sh1.15 million, an amount that they had been entitled to only if they had won the difficult away encounter.

Tusker midfielder Humphrey Mieno, who scored the sole goal of the away match, received an additional Sh100,000 for his contribution in the game’s 86th minute that halved the deficit for All Stars.

A delighted Mieno relieved his special moment on that day, admitting that it was a remarkable moment that he would treasure for the remainder of his life.

‘DAZZLING FEELING’

“It was a dazzling feeling. Unbelievable actually, when I saw the goalkeeper turn to collect the ball from the net. For a long time after the match and even when we were back in Kenya, I couldn’t believe I had scored.

“It was a humbling moment, but the whole experience in England was an eye-opener. I hope that such initiatives will be abundant in the coming days.

“We are hosting the return match soon, and every member of the team is saying that we must win at home,” said Mieno, whose ankle injury kept him from national team action at the weekend against Uganda and DR Congo in Machakos.

In last month’s epic friendly against Hull, All Stars put up a decent show although they were sunk by a first half goal from striker Elliot Holmes and an unfortunate own goal slid in by Gor Mahia defender Harun Shakava.

Mieno, however, recorded the outstanding moment for the Kenyan select side, scoring a consolation goal with a piercing strike in the 86th minute.

Despite the losing result, however, their sponsors thoughtfully awarded them the full prize, with chief executive officer Ronald Karauri saying that the team had done well considering the unfamiliar territory and the uncomfortable weather.