Mombasa Elite won their second consecutive game in the National Super League (NSL) matches after trouncing Luanda Villa 3-2 at the Serani Sports Ground.
Luanda Villa was the first to score on a penalty kick by Clinton Oduor in the tenth minute of the game. However, Mombasa Elite quickly equalised, when Emmanuel Lunalo scored with a header in the 15th minute.
Lunalo continued to make his mark on the game, converting a penalty kick into a goal in the 35th minute to give Mombasa Elite the lead. Bett Brian of Luanda Villa seized an opportunity in the 42nd minute to level the score with a swiftly taken corner kick, resulting in a 2-2 draw for both teams in the first half.
As the game resumed in the second half, Mombasa Elite’s persistence bore fruit when Rajab Hassan netted a vital goal in the 62nd minute, giving his team the lead.
The victory signifies Mombasa Elite’s successful bid to avoid relegation, as they have moved out of the relegation zone with a five-point difference. This achievement is bolstered by their recent win against Gusii and Luanda Villa.
Patrick Nyale, Elite coach, said that his team is not among those who should fight for relegation and that he takes one match at a time.
“Currently, our strategy is to take each match at a time, with relegation not being our primary focus. We don’t see ourselves as a team fighting relegation, but we acknowledge the situation. Our aim now is to finish the season in a higher position,” said Nyale.
Tom Tera, Luanda Villa tactician, believes that overconfidence led to the defeat. “We’ve been performing exceptionally well this season, so we anticipated a victory today, especially considering our dominant 5-1 win against them at home. However, it seems our players have been overconfident,” explained Tera.
Mombasa Elite currently are in the 15th position in the league standings after completing 26 matches, accumulating 36 points, and Luanda Villa are in the 7th position. Mombasa Elite are expected to face Mathare in their next fixture while Luanda Villa will face Migori Youth.
