Talanta Hela U19 boys ended their Easter Holiday on a high after outshining Spanish side Eldense FC 4-2 in a friendly match played on Monday at the Nastic Training Ground.
The boys headed to the match seeking revenge after going down 5-1 to Spanish lower-tier side CD Castellon on Friday.
2024 Costa Daurada’s top goal scorer Austin Odongo was the man of the match, scoring a hat-trick for the youngsters.
Ismael Odhiambo entered his name first in the goal-scoring party with a header courtesy of Samuel Indonyi’s corner kick in the 19th minute.
That would be the game’s sole goal in the opening half.
Odongo scored in the 60, 65, and 74th minutes in the final half to see Kenyans claim the victory.
Speaking after the match, the 17-year-old striker from Ebwali High School in Vihiga County expressed dissatisfaction in his performance, noting that he was aiming for more goals in Spain.
He explained that his aim as a striker in the match was to score as many goals as possible for the team.
“The game has been good. We came to learn. At least today I have scored three goals. It motivates me to score more goals in the future. Scoring is my job. That is why I pushed myself to the limit to propel the team to higher levels,” he started.
“I have not achieved my dreams. My target was to score many goals but it has already happened. Next time I will score many goals. This tournament had limited matches, so I did not perform well. If I played enough time, I would have scored even 12 goals,” he continued.
The youngster who looks up to Michael Olung’a was grateful to the Ministry of Sports through the Kenya Academy of Sports for the Spain tour, noting that he gained invaluable lessons.
“I have learned a lot like discipline, timekeeping, and being at our best. If we follow the coaches’ instructions, it will be good. They are experienced and help us grow,” he said
The boys have now completed their friendly match in Spain and will cheer on the girls when they lock horns with Calafell later in the day.
