Stars Abroad: Eric Johanna gets a drubbing as Gonzalez prepares for derby

Kenyan international Erick Johanna Omondi and his Swedish Jonkoping Sodra IF side had a day to forget in office as they were handed a heavy 5-0 thrashing by Norrkoping in a club friendly that took place yesterday at the Nya Parken stadium.

Three goals by the halftime break ensured Omollo’s team would have an almost insurmountable task coming out for the second half but Norrkoping were not keen to let up as they added two goals in the second half to completely put the game to bed.

Henrik Castergen gave the home team the lead as early as the ninth minute before Carl Bjork and Nigerian Samuel Adegbenro added two more goals in the 23rd and 33rd minute respectively to hand their side a comfortable 3-0 lead halfway through the match. Adegbenro then wrapped up his brace just five minutes after the break before Emanuel Chabo stepped up late with a strike in the 88th minute, leaving Jonkoping with only their faces to hide.

The game was the second successive loss to Jonkoping after also succumbing to a 1-0 defeat against GAIS a week ago. With the league edging ever so close, Jonkoping only have one friendly match left to put their house in order before the Sweden Superettan league kicks off on April 11th.Last season, Omollo’s side finished third on the log out of the sixteen league team, just nine points off winners Halmstad.

Elsewhere, in today’s fixture, Kenyan Ismail Athuman Gonzalez is set to feature in the Canary Island derby in Spain when his Las Palmas side travel away to take on Tenerife at 2230EAT. Tenerife is currently in eleventh position on the log on 40 points, only one point ahead of Las Palmas who are in twelfth. That alone should make for a cracking encounter when the two sides meet tonight.