By Aja Beyai
Manjai zone were crowned champions of the inaugural KM Zonal Super Cup after a tense 7-6 penalty shootout victory over rivals Serekunda East at Serekunda West Park today.
The final lived up to its billing as one of the season’s most anticipated zonal clashes. Manjai, the defending league champions, struck first in the 19th minute when Omar Bojang unleashed a stunning effort to put his side ahead after a bright opening spell. Serekunda East struggled to find rhythm in the first half and went into the break trailing.
After the restart, the East side emerged a different team. They pressed higher, created clearer openings, and finally leveled the contest five minutes before the break. Lamin Sanyang struck a powerful equalizer in the 85th minute to send the game to penalties and silence the large Manjai following.
Both teams showed composure from the spot. After a succession of successful kicks, Manjai held their nerve to clinch a 7-6 shootout win and lift the first-ever KM Zonal Super Cup trophy. The result extended their recent dominance: this was the third consecutive meeting between the two zones, with Manjai winning all three.
Manjai head coach Cherno Badjie praised his players’ character after a demanding schedule. “It was a very, very tough game. It’s never been easy between Manjai and Serekunda East. This is the third time we have played consecutively. Some of my players played 90 minutes yesterday; that’s why we looked a bit down late on,” he said. “What is most important is the victory. For the first time, we won the inaugural KM Zonal Super Cup. We were prepared mentally. Alhamdulillah, we are that team.”
He acknowledged Serekunda East’s stature while setting a clear target for the season ahead. “Serekunda East is a powerhouse. We respect them. Our aim this year is simple: defend our title. To our fans, we love them, and they love us. We are one family.”
Serekunda East coach Musa Sabally admitted a poor start but highlighted his side’s response. “We didn’t have a good start in the first half. But the mentality is strong; the boys responded very well in the second half. We scored and took it to penalties. Penalties are always like this—the lucky team always wins,” he said. “There was some tactical error early on that the boys failed to understand fully, but we rectified it at the break. If we were more clinical, we could have finished the game in the second half.”
With limited preparation time and several players unavailable due to injuries or First and Second Division commitments, Sabally refused to make excuses. “Football is all about preparation. Now, the only thing is to focus on the league. We will do research and bring the best team that can compete very well.”
Manjai will now enter the KM Zonal Championship as Super Cup holders and defending league champions while Serekunda East will be determined to reverse the recent trend when the league campaign begins.
