Bandari Queens edge Mombasa Olympic in thrilling Mombasa derby

Bandari FC continued their strong form in the National Super League on Saturday, claiming a 2-0 victory over city rivals Mombasa Olympic at the Mbaraki Sports Club.

Substitute Agnes Olesi proved decisive once again, scoring a second-half brace to secure all three points for the Queens, mirroring their 4-0 triumph in the first-leg encounter.

The derby exploded into life from the first minute, as Saumu Mnyazi’s powerful strike hit the crossbar. His follow-up effort was expertly blocked by the Olympic defense, keeping the scoreboard unchanged.

Bandari Queens dominated possession in the early stages, with Josephine Luyali and Gaone Salama finding shooting opportunities, but Olympic goalkeeper Jedidiah Kamau remained alert.

Meanwhile, Bandari Queens defence held firm, leaving goalkeeper Belinda Akinyi largely untested in the first half, and the teams went into the break level at 0-0.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 61st minute when Olesi tapped from close-range from a precise cross by Mercyline Mwalimu. Moments later, Akinyi made a brave save to deny Olympic a chance to equalize.

Olesi struck again in the 76th minute, connecting with a cross from Irene Namale to seal a comfortable derby victory for the hosts.

Bandari Queens head coach Jonathan Washe was elated by the result.

“Derbies always bring pressure, but the team handled it well. We settled after a tight first half and secured the maximum points - this is a great start for the second leg,” he said.

Mombasa Olympic coach Michael Mito admitted that counter-attacks cost his side.

“We tried our best, but we allowed two counter-attacks that made the difference. Moving forward, we need to review and improve our defense,” he noted.