Naivas football club dangerman Kharisa Ponda has set his eyes on clinching the National Super League (NSL) golden boot accolade. Ponda joined the title-chasing side at the onset of the campaign from FKF division one side Ruiru Hotstars. The on-form red hot forward leads the retailers top scorers chart and is subsequently second in the National Super League charts with eleven goals to his name. Ponda scored his eleventh goal of the season on Saturday 16 March, to propel Naivas to a 4-1 thumping of Mombasa Stars.Following his goal on Saturday,the net-buster is five goals shy of lead scorer Philemon Nyakwaka, who has since switched sides to FKF Premier League side KCB. Nyakwaka joined the bankers from promotion-chasing side Mara Sugar during the month-long mid-season transfer period. ##NAJAVA_MECA_7966516##Until his departure, the former millers talisman was the lead goal scorer, having found the back of the net on 16 occasions. With 15 matches before the second-tier league winds up, Ponda has expressed optimism about suppressing Nyakwaka’s tally and clinching the top scorers award.”The race for the golden boot accolade is wide open since Nyakwaka crossed over to KCB. We have at least 15 more fixtures to play, and I am only praying to keep fit and be clinical on goal in the remaining matches. Should I suppress the current tally, it will be a great achievement career-wise, a milestone that I am really focused on achieving,” he uttered. African Games: Ghana to face Senegal in high-stakes men’s football semiNaivas leads the furtherance chase and are currently placed at the summit with 52 points. Should the Charles ‘Korea’ Omondi lead charges seal automatic advancement,Ponda will not be new in the FKF Premier League, having featured for 2009 champions Sofapaka in 2020. His short stint with Batoto Ba Mungu was one to forget as he struggled with a lack of playing time and a goal drought, an impetuous phase that forced him to make a return to his parent club, Ruiru Hotstars. Despite downplaying promotion talk, the attacker has exuded confidence in having an impactful second stint in the FKF Premier League. “It is a tight race at the top, and any slip changes the tides; however, we are focused on one game at a time, and hopefully we can manage to cruise through at the closure of the campaign. Should we win, I will be determined to have a successful second stint at the top. My first experience was challenging, but I am glad I picked up some lessons that I believe have shaped my goal-scoring prowess,” he concluded.
