NGI Central Conference winners Malama Kimbe Eagles will be the team to beat given a couple more years.
In the revamped National Soccer League quarter-finals currently underway this weekend the Kimbe franchise showed they can match any team in the competition when they shocked favorites Gulf Komara holding them out to a nil all scoreline until the end of regulation time, only to go down 2-nil in extra time.
In their first ever quarter-final appearance, the underdogs took to task from the get go, the glamor club in a tight but action packed entertaining showdown.
Komara fielding full complement of its star-studded line up, however could not get into their rhythm earlier as expected, when the Eagles counterattack tactics started to work for them aligning their attack and defense to frustrate Komara’s game plan.
Although Komara would always have the upper-hand in terms of skill, speed and experience at crucial stages of the contest, the Kimbe boys showed a lot of courage and composure in defending their goal mouth, let alone the skill, the footwork, and speed was amazing to watch.
Komara had a lot of scoring chances but Eagles goalkeeper was like man possessed denying Komara’s hat-trick on 7 or 8 occasions. Frustrations started to creeping into the Gulf boys game but the brave Eagles kept calm, cool and collected until fulltime with a nil all score-line.
Komara’s experience and stamina payed off in the end with 2 goals from the boots of Nigel Dabinyaba and Jordan Kaven to qualify for the semifinal next week.
Despite of the loss Kimbe Soccer Association President Waname Maha praised for his young guns for a courageous effort against one of the benchmark teams of NSL.