Mombasa Stars extended their winning streak with a 2-1 victory over Gusii FC in the National Super League (NSL) at the KPA Mbaraki Sports Club in Mombasa. The team has won the last three games.
Mombasa Stars were the first to score, Emmanuel Nyamawi, placed the ball past Gusii goalkeeper, Bernard Otieno, three minutes into the game.
Bill Okite equalized the score on the final kick of the first half with a 40-yard strike that got past Mombasa Stars goalkeeper, Salim Dhadho.
It wasn’t until the 61st minute, when Mombasa Stars scored the winning goal, a penalty shot by Joel Kihara, after Ghalib Ali was fouled in the 18-yard box.
Many supporters thronged the Mbaraki Sports ground to witness the game. Football is a sporting activity in the coastal town and an opportunity for the community to come together, celebrate, and rally around their team.
Mombasa Stars Coach, Mohamed Madaga, was thrilled with the win, but also surprised by how difficult Gusii was.
“We did not anticipate a tough game from Gusii, but they employed defensive tactics, making it difficult for us to score. The majority of our players are also affected by the red eye disease, we had to introduce young players who performed well to guarantee we kept the three points at home,” Madaga stated.
Currently, the Mombasa Stars are number ten with 23 points after 18 matches in the NSL standing, while Gusii is position 15 after 18 games.
Elsewhere, Omax FC, a Mombasa division one team, won two nil at Serani Sports Ground after dominating their game against Dandora Youth.
Omar Omar scored Omax’s first goal 20 minutes into the game, and Juma Ali added another in the 79th minute to seal the victory.
Omax coach Juma Kalato said the win was a step in the fulfillment of the team’s ambition of gaining promotion to the National Soccer League.
“We are grateful for the victory; we will continue to work hard. We will ensure that we win the promotion, our main goal for the season,” Kalato stated.
Omax signed numerous players to strengthen the squad for the second leg of the Division One games, including Omar Omar and Sudi Nyamawi.
Mombasa Stars will play against Kajiado in their next encounter, while Omax will face Kibera in Nairobi. All games are scheduled for next weekend.
By Abdulrahman Allui
