China scores to secure Bandari Youth Bingwa Fest title

Bandari Youth FC were crowned the Coast Bingwa Fest Champions on Sunday after claiming a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Simba Apparel at Mbaraki Stadium in Mombasa County.

The only goal of the final was scored by Yusuf Ali, also known as "China," sealing the win for Bandari Youth.

The match kicked off with an early chance for Bandari Youth, as Suleiman Kahema fired a shot from 20 yards in the second minute. However, Simba Apparel's goalkeeper, Stephen Ogola, was quick to make the save.

In the 26th minute, Bandari Youth took the lead. China scored the decisive goal after a series of quick passes with Hafidh Abdillah and Mohammed Tsuma, finishing with a low shot to the bottom corner of the net.

Just before halftime, Bandari Youth's goalkeeper, Francis Katana, made a crucial save to deny Austin Oduor an equalizer, maintaining his team's 1-0 lead going into the break.

In the second half, Simba Apparel launched a series of attacks through Peter Mwololo, Charles Lumumba, and Bakari Rama, forcing Bandari Youth to defend strongly and manage the tempo of the game. 

Despite Simba's relentless pressure, Bandari Youth held firm, remaining unbeaten throughout the competition and securing a clean sheet in the final.

Speaking after the match, Bandari Youth head coach Alex Shikanga expressed his satisfaction with the win. “It is a hard-fought final and a sweet revenge after what Simba did to us in the first leg of the league,” said Shikanga.

“They supported us in the semi-finals, thinking it would be an easy victory, but we dominated them to claim the championship.”

Simba Apparel's head coach, Patrick Nyale praised his team's performance despite the defeat.

“No one ever plays to lose, but congratulations to Bandari Youth. They took their moment and scored, even though we dominated the latter stages of the match. Our focus now shifts to the league, and we’ll aim to carry this momentum into the FKF Division One league.”

Denmak FC finished in third place, defeating Congo Boyz 3-2.

In the women's final, KCN Poly triumphed 1-0 over Destiny Ladies from Changamwe.

Phoebe Baraza scored the only goal of the match in the 63rd minute, capitalizing on a one-on-one opportunity with Destiny goalkeeper Ziada Omar, and firing a composed low shot into the net.

KCN Poly's goalkeeper, Ziada Omar, made a number of brilliant saves to keep her team in the hunt for the 1 million shilling prize. Phibi Baraza finished as the top scorer of the Bingwa Fest Coast Chapter with six goals.

Speaking after the final whistle, KCN Poly head coach Juliana Kioko praised her team's performance. 

“I’m grateful to Betika for giving these girls a platform to showcase their talent. It was a tough match, but our girls fought hard for the win,” she said.

 “The equity shown in the prize distribution between the boys’ and girls’ categories is a significant step forward in changing the mindset about our girls. They truly deserve the best.”

Basketball Finals:

Unicorns 11-12 The Money Team

Free Nation 22-10 KNCP

Rugby Finals:

Hunters Hill 51-0 Mazeras Starlets

Mombasa Sports Club 5-0 TUM Mari