Mombasa: Mombasa-based teams, Mombasa Stars and Congo Boys, claimed their first victories in the National Super League (NSL) and Division 1 Zone A matches, respectively, at Serani Sports Ground on Saturday. Mombasa Stars achieved a narrow 1-0 win against Kibera Black Stars, marking their maiden victory of the season after enduring four losses and a draw. The decisive goal came from Alfred Mangingi, who converted a penalty in the first half, providing much-needed relief to his team.
According to Kenya News Agency, Mombasa Stars’ Head Coach Muhamed Hussein ‘Madaga’ expressed his optimism that the win was forthcoming. He emphasized that, although the team celebrated a victory, there was still room for improvement in their gameplay. “After today’s match, the spirit has risen as we have gone five matches without a win till today. I believe my players still need to work hard; although we won, we did not have a good game,” said Madaga.
On the opposing side, Kibera Black Stars Coach Edwin Lavatsa viewed the match a
s balanced, acknowledging missed opportunities by his team. He pointed out the need to improve their finishing and commented on the referees’ decisions, which he believed favored the opponents. “We will put on work on our finishing, as that was our big problem today. Today referees destroyed the game in the second half while we looked for an equaliser; they were awarding our opponents so many fouls that they did not deserve,” lamented Lavatsa.
The match saw early attempts from both teams, with Rodgers Okumu of Mombasa Stars taking a shot on goal in the 13th minute, which was saved by the Kibera Black Stars goalkeeper. A minute later, Lucky Kaingu missed an opportunity with a shot that went wide. Mombasa Stars gained a penalty in the 26th minute after Rodgers Okumu was fouled by Engine Ochieng inside the penalty area, and Alfred Mangingi successfully converted it.
Mombasa Stars nearly doubled their lead in the 33rd minute when Lucky Kaingu fired a dangerous shot, narrowly missing the target. Kibera Black Sta
rs had a chance to equalise in the 75th minute with a free header from Engine Ochieng but failed to capitalize. In the game’s dying moments, Victor Ochieng found himself in a one-on-one situation with the Mombasa Stars goalkeeper but failed to find the net.
In a parallel match, Congo Boys celebrated their first victory in Division One, defeating Dynamo FC 2-0. Goals by Ali Juma and Godwin Joseph secured the win following a challenging period of four draws and one loss.