Veteran center Ezra Mulusa struck at the death to hand Mombasa RFC a dramatic 13–8 victory over former Kenya cup side and rivals South Coast Pirates in a pulsating Coast derby held on Saturday at tge Mombasa sports club, securing the hosts’ first win of the 2025/26 KRU Championship season.
Mombasa were the first to trouble the scoreboard in the opening half, with Kevin Magembe calmly slotting over a penalty to give the hosts a 3–0 lead. Pirates, however, gradually found their rhythm and took control through new acquisition Brian Maina, who powered over for a crucial try. The five-pointer handed the visitors a slender 5–3 advantage as the two sides headed into the break.
The second half opened with Pirates tightening their grip on the contest. Scrum-half Anthony Abonyo extended the lead with a well-taken penalty to make it 8–3, putting the visitors in a strong position. But Mombasa refused to back down and kept the pressure mounting. Their persistence paid off when Magembe struck again from the tee, cutting the deficit to 8–6 and setting up a tense finale.
The decisive moment came in the dying minutes. A costly error by Pirates saw Alphonce Otieno sent off, reducing the visitors to 14 men at the worst possible time. Mombasa seized the opportunity, piling on the pressure before veteran Ezra Mulusa muscled his way over for a dramatic last-minute try. Magembe added the conversion to seal a memorable 13–8 win for the hosts.
The victory marked a much-needed breakthrough for Mombasa RFC after three consecutive league defeats, while it handed South Coast Pirates their first loss of the season in a derby that lived up to its billing.
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