Ulinzi Stars beat Egyptian Premier League side Smouha 3-0 in Caf Confederation Cup return leg match played on Saturday at Machakos County Stadium but the Soldiers bowed out of the tourney on aggregate goals.
Striker Samuel Onyango and defender Omar Mbongi were on the mark, the former scoring twice but the three goals could not secure a ticket to the next stage for Ulinzi Stars.
The Soldiers had felled in their first leg encounter while away in Egypt and they knew that scoring more than four goals was the only way to survive. Indeed, they started the match well hitting the net in the 8th minute and sealing a 2-0 disparity at half-time courtesy of Onyango.
Second-half was accompanied by a major set-back when John Kago was shown the marching orders but Mbongi defied odds to score the team’s third goal.
Their dream of scoring at least one more goal was never realized as time caught up with them. They will now embark on domestic duties, two weeks after the 2017 Kenyan Premier League kick-off.
Ulinzi Stars: James Saruni, Brian Birgen, Godfrey Kokoyo, Mohammed Hassan, Omar Mbongi, Brian Onyango, Churchill Muloma, John Kago, Samuel Onyango, Evans Amwoka, Daniel Waweru
Subs: Finius Odhiambo, Benson Sande, Oliver Rutto, Enosh Ochieng’, Oscar Wamalwa, Justine Omwonga, Baron Oketch.
