Bandari Queens beat Mombasa Olympic in NSL opener

The Queens netted twice in each half to seal their first win of the season, picking up right where they left off last year.

It took just six minutes for Bandari to break the deadlock. Chilo Chikope latched onto a pinpoint cross from captain Idda Atieno and calmly slotted the ball past Mombasa Olympic goalkeeper Cynthia Abuda.

Ten minutes later, Catherine Kanga doubled the lead with a powerful strike, capitalizing on a clever through ball from playmaker Irene Namace.

Mombasa Olympic managed their first shot on target in the 30th minute, with Isca Awino testing the keeper from the edge of the box, only to see her effort pushed away for a corner.

Bandari went into halftime with a comfortable 2-0 lead.

Ten minutes into the second half, Mombasa Olympic’s defender Vivian Okinda accidentally put the ball into her own net while trying to clear a looping shot from Namace, extending Bandari's lead to 3-0.

In the dying minutes of the match, Irene Namace capped off a stellar performance by pouncing on a loose ball in the box and tapping it into an empty net to make it 4-0.

Speaking after the match, Bandari Queens head coach Jonathan Washe expressed satisfaction with the result but highlighted areas for improvement.

"I am happy with the win, but we still need to work on our midfield and attack," he said.

"Most of our players didn’t have their cards ready for this match, but I’m hopeful they’ll be available for our next game against Mathare at home."

Despite the heavy defeat, Mombasa Olympic coach Jumanne Barne remained optimistic.

"This was our first real test of the season. We’ve lost several experienced players, but I am pleased with how the young girls performed. They’ll only get better as the season progresses," Berne noted.