Round 5 of the SportPesa League continued on Tuesday afternoon at Dandora Stadium with an entertaining clash that saw Sofapaka stage a late comeback to salvage a point against a spirited Mara Sugar side in a 2–2 draw.

It was a cagey first half of the match, with most shots going off target and the slippery ground proving tricky for players not using the right boots for the Dandora astro turf. Both teams went into the break goalless, with Mara Sugar recording the only shot on target in the opening half.

The second half produced a thrilling contest as both sides raised the intensity in search of victory. Mara Sugar made their intentions clear early on, rattling the crossbar in the 50th minute through Brian Ochieng, whose lively play and crisp passing drew applause from the crowd.

The breakthrough came in the 55th minute when Dan Ochieng, operating on the right flank, weaved past defenders before finding David Owino Mwiti in space just outside the box. Owino unleashed a powerful screamer that struck the top bar and dropped into the net , a stunning goal that sparked wild celebrations from the Sugar Millers. There were immediate questions from fans inside the stadium about whether the ball had fully crossed the line, but television replays confirmed it had.

Mara Sugar continued their charge and doubled their lead in the 66th minute. Brian Ochieng once again caused havoc down the right, cutting into the box and forcing Sofapaka goalkeeper Edward Olak into a save, but the rebound fell kindly to an unmarked Timothy Dayala, who made no mistake from close range to make it 2–0.

Sofapaka’s response came in the 71st minute when Joseph Kuloba threaded a brilliant through ball to substitute Stanley Lugalia. The forward made no error, striking past advancing keeper Stephen Otieno to pull one back for Batoto ba Mungu.

With eight minutes of added time signaled, Sofapaka pressed relentlessly for an equalizer. Their persistence paid off in the 94th minute when substitute Ambesa sent a precise cross into the box. Mara Sugar keeper Otieno appeared to have caught the ball, but it slipped from his grasp, allowing Kuloba to pounce on the loose ball and bury it into the net. The Sofapaka bench erupted in celebration while a furious Mara Sugar coach could only watch in disbelief.

Despite Sofapaka’s late push for a winner, the referee’s final whistle confirmed a dramatic 2–2 draw; a result that lifted Sofapaka off the relegation zone to 13th place with 5 points after five rounds. For Mara Sugar, the draw extended their unbeaten run to 3 matches, sitting 10th on the log with 6 points after back-to-back draws following their victory over Ulinzi in the previous round.