After three seasons of trial and error, Lady Luck finally knocked at Luanda Villa’s doorsteps in 2023, ending the long wait for second-division football.A once-sleeping giant Villa roared back to life, increasing the number of National Super League clubs from Vihiga County, to the delight of Luanda fans who had waited for over five years to experience the NSL drama.The sight of supporters running in jovial moods after the 1-0 win over Zoo FC at the Mumboha Stadium in August mirrored the ecstasy that enveloped the players and the Luanda fraternity.But how has the year been for the Tom Tera charges?##NAJAVA_MECA_7769573##Promotion to the NSL Doreack Otieno’s outrageous header in the 26th minute of play against Zoo at the Mumboha Stadium will go down in the memories as it handed Villa their first-ever promotion to the second tier.Villa had tried without success to ascend to the league regarded as the toughest in the country, but initial attempts ended at the playoffs, having been pegged back by SS Assad at the first time of asking.The championship title signaled a fresh start at the club ending a tiresome but rewarding journey that club chairman Moses Abwenje termed as the best moment of his Villa rein.”Earning promotion to the NSL is the time of my Villa leadership,” asserted the club boss.Happy initiation to the NSL!The traditional story of newcomers and fire in the second tier was put to bed with Villa outshining league veterans Mombasa Elite 5-0 in their opening match of the campaign at Mumboha.Goals from Timothy Ndayala, Humphery Tiema, and Samuel Maya handed Esiefwe Siene an emphatic win and a happy initiation to the league.Winless run After a happy start to the campaign, Tera’s charges were in for the real test; the club got themselves on a narrow path and blew matches they were in for a win.An unprecedented record of five draws in a bit was set, which raised many questions about the capabilities of the team in the second tier.Draws against Naivas, Mulembe United, Rainbow, Kajiado, and another league newbies Dimba Patriots, threatened the progress of the club, which forced an emergency crisis meeting.The meeting paid off as they bounced back with a 2-0 win away to Kibera Black Stars.Babu is back at PoliceEnd of Unbeaten StreakBefore meeting Darajani Gogo in early December, Villa, along with Nairobi United and Mathare United, remained the only invisible sides in the league.More interestingly, Luanda had not lost a match since their 2-1 defeat to Zoo in April, taking their run to 25 matches without defeat.Goals from Mike Isagwa and Raydon Munane were enough to welcome the community-powered club to the table of men and halt the exemplary league form.Despite what can be termed a fairytale, Villa’s ascent to the second tier was far from smooth; the club faced challenges in 2023 that nearly derailed their season.Team DisciplineThe club battled a number of indiscipline cases that nearly undermined their performances.Two months into the Super League, the board of trustees suspended defender Gershom Arabe Osumba and sent warnings to the trio of Samuel Maya, centre back Gregory Shikanga, and attacker Timonthy Ndayala over their role in go slows at the club.Luanda Villa suspends defender and issues warnings to trioMonths after the unfortunate incident, the club bosses found themselves at the centre of another disciplinary bout after the players went on strike over unpaid allowances accrued from the matches they had won.At the end of it, it was a tough stand from the team boss, who said, “Villa is a club built on standards, and we expect everyone here to adhere to them. We will not tolerate indiscipline cases. To our fans, our coaches are working tirelessly to ensure we start winning matches as soon as possible. “Partnership and SponsorshipJust like with most National Super League clubs, Villa have struggled to secure a sponsor.Funded by the community and local leaders, the team has battled to pay match bonuses on time and hopes to secure a partner before the second face of the campaignFurthermore, Mozzart Sport understands that elaborate plans are underway to have the club secure a bus to ease transport logistics.Despite the challenges, Villa remains hopeful, anchored by the unwavering support of its fans and the anticipation of a fruitful 2024 as they target promotion to the Football Kenya Federation Premier League.
