Galole ‘A’ pipped Garsen ‘A’ 2-1 in the Dola Inter-county Super Cup (Tana River edition) in Mombasa.
Galole will now represent Tana River County in the coastal show later this month. Exodus Jibbo’s 86th-minute winner ensured Galole ‘A’ walked away with the Sh100,000 prize money.
The Saidi Luambi-led team fell behind in the 15th minute due to poor clearance by their defence, allowing Garsen’s Jiso Abawata to toe-pock the opener. However, Ramadhan Buya levelled matters just 10 minutes later after dancing through the Garsen defence.
Luambi, who coaches the top Tana River County league side, 004 FC, said there are lots of hidden talents in the county that do not get the exposure they deserve.
“There is a misconception that Tana River doesn’t have talent. But in the recent past, we have been doing well for ourselves against perceived football giants,” Luambi said.
In April, Luambi led Tana River County to the quarter-finals of the Under-23 Inter-Counties Sports Association (KYISA) Games, where they were bundled out by Busia, who were the eventual winners.
Luambi called on football stakeholders to put the interests of the players first. “The biggest challenge we have in Tana River is the war between the FKF and the county football association.
“Their protracted wars have reduced the quality of football in our county and there is no stable platform to showcase the real talents,” Luambi said.
The coach said real talents are usually seen when tournaments like the Dola Super Cup take place. “We thank Dola and the organisers of the tournament for helping us showcase what Tana River has.
The tournament is being played across the six coastal counties and the winners will meet in Mombasa later this month in the final with a prize of Sh1 million up for grabs.
Dola Group head of marketing, Sadam Suleiman, said the next focus is on the Taita Taveta edition, before heading to Kilifi and Lamu counties.
He called on football lovers in the coastal region to return to the stadium and support the local teams.
