Mozzart Bet Cup: Non-league side Kuta Collection advance after dramatic penalty shootout against Al-Azizia
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 12.02.26. | 17:37
Kuta Collection, a side largely composed of non-contracted players booked their ticket in the Round of 32 of the tournament
Non-league outfit Kuta Collection marked a historic milestone in their maiden Mozzart Bet Cup campaign after edging Division One side Al-Azizia FC on post-match penalties to secure passage to the Round of 32.
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The rescheduled round of 64 fixture, staged at Kinoru Stadium on Wednesday, 11 February, was among the matches that had not been played over the weekend, alongside defending champions Nairobi United, who were away on CAF Confederation Cup duty against Moroccan giants Wydad AC.
But despite the delay, the contest delivered drama and an underdog narrative befitting Kenya’s oldest knockout competition.
Kuta Collection, a side largely composed of non-contracted players, signalled their intent early in the encounter.
Former Tusker FC winger Luke Namanda opened the scoring before Patrick Ngunyi doubled the advantage, handing the tournament debutants a commanding early lead.
However, Al-Azizia responded with admirable resilience. Zachariah Tisa pulled one back to restore belief for the FKF Division One side, setting the stage for a fiercely contested battle.
The match ebbed and flowed with both teams pressing for control, but it was in the dying moments that the contest took a dramatic twist.
Deep into stoppage time, in the ninth minute of added time, Al-Azizia were awarded a penalty after Boaz Mareri handled the ball inside the area.
Melvin Muthomi stepped up and calmly converted, forcing the tie into penalties after a pulsating four-goal thriller.
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With no winner determined in regulation time, the match was decided from twelve yards, and it was Kuta Collection who held their nerve.
Robinson Asenwa, Patrick Ngunyi, Bryan Tobiko, Eric Mwaura, Giovanni Moses and Boaz Mareri all converted their spot kicks for Kuta.
Despite seeing Mustapha Oduor and Levi Shionanya denied by Al-Azizia goalkeeper Patrick Oduor, the non-league side had not done enough.
Al-Azizia found the net through Zachariah Tisa, Elvis Aromana, Kennedy Mboga, Simba Kundu and Melvin Muthomi, but Alfred Bukala struck the upright while Kuta goalkeeper Mustapha Oduor produced a decisive save to deny Frank Hope, sealing a famous victory.
The triumph secures Kuta Collection a place in the Round of 32 in their very first appearance in the prestigious tournament, a competition that spans over 70 years of Kenyan football history.
Speaking after the match, Kuta Collection midfielder-cum-coach and founder Agustine Kuta admitted his side struggled to fully implement their tactical approach, citing the poor playing surface as a major challenge.
“Today we were a bit short in our tactics of the game, but largely the field played a bigger part. We struggled because of the poor playing surface, which made it difficult for us to play our usual ball.
Hopefully, in the next round we will play on a better pitch and showcase our football,” said the former FC Talanta and Mathare United midfielder.
Kuta Collection will now await the round of 32 draw, with fixtures scheduled for Saturday, 7 and Sunday, 8 March, as they continue their fairytale journey and set their sights on a place in the round of 16.