Talanta Hela U19 boys’ and girls’ teams on Wednesday evening cruised to the finals of the Costa Daurada Cup that is ongoing in Salou, Spain after their impressive semifinal performance.The tournament has attracted celebrated academies like PSG, Bayern Munich, Girona, Malaga, Olympic Madrid, and Sporting de Portugal. Kenya is the only African country in the tournament.##NAJAVA_MECA_7989219##Boys RunThe boys were in a class of their own, defeating Berango FT 2-0 in a closely contested tie staged at Futbol Salou Stadium.Ebwali Secondary School hotshot Austin Odongo and Bandari FC’s left-winger William Gitamu were on target for team Kenya. Speaking after the match, the team’s coach Stanley Okumbi admitted that their loss to Nastic Soccer Academy on Tuesday evening had him questioning their preparedness ahead of the game. Despite that, he noted that the win lifted the boys’ morale. The tactician further pointed out that his charges were gelling well and improving each day, expressing confidence that the future was bright for the boys.“We knew when to attack and defend, such simple tactics won us the match,” offered the former Harambee Stars coach. Talanta Hela U19 Boys have also advanced to the Costa Daurada Cup final after defeating Berango Fútbol Taldea 2-0 in the semifinal played on Wednesday evening. William Gitama and Austin Odongo were the goal scorers for the Kenyan team. #FootballKE pic.twitter.com/g79oXnaCwd— Ole Teya (@TeyaKevin) March 27, 2024 With the win now behind them, Okumbi is optimistic that they will shine in the finals and bring the trophy home.“The team is improving with every passing match, despite the difficulty of the opponents they have shown maturity to win matches and I expect the same in the finals,” he added. Okumbi’s charges will face Usurbil FT in the finals in a repeat of their group match where team Kenya emerged 2-0 victors. Olunga adores team spirit for Harambee Stars’ exploits in MalawiGirls RunElizabeth Mideva’s strike was enough to send the ladies’ team to the last two following their narrow 1-0 win over Antiguoko in a hotly contested match. Coach Jackline Juma lauded her charges’ efforts and resilience to reach the finals.“Antiguoko is a top side but the girls were composed throughout the match to post the good results, We are going to the finals with a mission of bringing the cup home and making the country proud,” offered Juma. Firat: Four nations performances a morale booster ahead of World Cup qualifiersSporting de Portugal stands on the way of Juma’s girls’ path to glory in a repeat of the second match of the group stages where Kenya emerged 3-2 winners.
