Penalty or no penalty? – Tusker’s Matano clash with Gor Mahia’s McKinstry over controversial incident

Tusker head coach Robert Matano and his Gor Mahia counterpart Johnathan McKinstry have clashed over what appeared to be a controversial incident during their Football Kenya Federation Premier League match on Sunday.

Towards the end of the Kenyatta Stadium match, which Gor Mahia eventually won by a 1-0 margin, K’Ogalo’s defender Kennedy Onyango appeared to have handled the ball in his area in an attempt to clear it.

Tusker protested and wanted a penalty awarded to them, while the reigning champions wanted their rivals’ demands dismissed. The latter won and left Matano furious over the call.

“That was a penalty, but what can I do even if I complain? It was a clear penalty, but the referee decided otherwise,” Matano told the media after the match.

On his part, McKinstry agreed with the referee’s decision, as he stated the ball hit the defender’s hand instead, and that could not in any way lead to a penalty.

“The ball hit his (Onyango’s) hand, and he was down, bracing his hands against the grass. That is not a penalty, and the rules are clear on this. It cannot be a penalty,” McKinstry said.

Tusker’s unbeaten run ends

The loss ended Tusker’s eight-match unbeaten run as Gor Mahia opened a 12-point gap with them.

Tusker have witnessed a resurgence in recent games after starting the season on a poor note. However, McKinstry feels the resurgence will not help them win the FKF Premier League title.

“That was Tusker’s sixth defeat of the season; no team has ever lost more than six and won the league in the last 20 years.

“It just extends our position at the top, and we have two weeks now until we play Police, and it will be really another tough game, but the guys are in great form, and we don’t want to slip up,” McKinstry said.