NAIROBI, Kenya, August 1- The final spots for this year’s COPA Coca-Cola national finals were filled last weekend as Mombasa United beat Gulshan FC 1-0 to take the Coast Provincial title.
Abresh Said Rasheed was the hero at the Tononoka grounds after grabbing the only goal to book his team’s ticket to the national finals in Kisumu.
Both teams entertained their supporters with good football but neither side broke the deadlock in a very entertaining first half.
The second half maintained the same high tempo and Mombasa took lead after engineering a move that started from the right flank and ended with Rasheed tucking the ball into the net to give United the win.
Despite playing with more urgency than the first half, Gulshan could not draw level and Mombasa were left to celebrate at the referee’s final whistle.
The two teams had an easy ride to the final with Mombasa winning their quarterfinal match 2-0 as Gulshan edged out Ghaid with the same score line.
Other quarterfinal matches saw Nacet pip Malindi United 4-3 on post match penalties while the hard fighting Voi Youth were sent packing by Anidan who beat them 2-1.
In the semis, Gulshan ousted Nacet 2-0 while Mombasa had to go to post-match penalties to dismiss Anidan 4-2 after the two teams managed a barren draw in normal time.
The third place went to Nacet who beat Anidan courtesy of Yare Noor’s solitary goal in the first half.
The girls’ matches were played in a round robin format after Waa Girls and St. Charles failed to turn up.
The matches were equally entertaining but with a glut of goals as Changamwe Girls suffered an 8-0 humiliation at the hands of Kilifi who were then brought down by Lamu Girls in a 6-0 whitewash.
In other matches, Gwano walloped Mwaluphamba 4-1 before qualifying for the final with a victory 2-0 over Changamwe.
The final was a close contest between Gwano and Kilifi Mix which the former won thanks to a first half goal from Nuru Hadima. The third place playoff saw Mwaluphamba give Changamwe a 2-0 hiding.
With the line-up now complete, attention now shifts to the Kisumu national finals which will be held from August 21 through to 28.
