Rainbow FC secured a dramatic late equaliser to force a 1-1 draw against Mombasa Stars in a National Super League (NSL) match on Sunday at Serani Sports Ground.
Rainbow dominated the first half, creating numerous scoring opportunities but failing to capitalise on any of them.
The breakthrough came 29 minutes into the second half when the Mombasa Stars’ top scorer, Joel Kihara, scored his 14th goal of the season, putting the Stars ahead.
However, in a dramatic turn of events during stoppage time, Rainbow’s Hansel Ochieng scored, ensuring that his team walked away with a point.
“In the first half, we didn’t play well. We discussed it with the boys, and things improved. We started dominating the game, scored the first goal, but then missed many chances to secure the win,” explained Mombasa Stars coach, Muhammad Hassan.
Hassan felt his team’s performance deserved praise, considering they were missing key players like Dennis Magige and Alvin Ngoro due to injuries. Additionally, their goalkeeper, Saeed Aleeley, was unavailable as he received a call-up to represent the Somali National Team in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Rainbow FC Coach, Hamisi Muhamed, was pleased with the point earned given the challenging conditions, including the weather and game time.
“We prepared well despite the hot weather, and the boys stuck to the plan. The team has become stronger as the season is ending, and we aim to finish in the best position. We could have finished the game in the first half with the chances we created but failed to score. Nevertheless, we are thankful,” said Muhamed.
The points earned moved Rainbow to the sixth position with 49 points after playing 34 games, while Mombasa Stars are in the ninth position with 47 points from the same number of matches.
Mombasa Stars will face Kibera in their next fixture, while Rainbow prepares to host Mombasa Elite, with both teams playing at home.
By Abdulrahman Allui
