Harza's Farewell: Daugavpils Beats Grobiņa 1-0 with One Penalty Converted
Daugavpils secured their first win over Grobiņa this season, winning 1-0 at home thanks to a penalty by William Mukwelle, while Rostāns Ndžikī missed another spot kick. Artem Harza played his last match before moving to the Czech league.
The third round of the Tonybet Virslīga kicked off with Daugavpils defeating Grobiņa for the first time this season. At the Esplanāde artificial pitch, the hosts scored one goal but earned all three points.
The first half saw few clear chances. Rostāns Ndžikī danced past a defender and shot to the near post, but goalkeeper Vyacheslav Kudryavtsev saved. Later, Papa Gnengs headed over the bar.
The turning point came early in the second half when Gļebs Kļuškin unnecessarily hugged Ndžikī from behind in the box. After VAR review, a penalty was awarded. William Mukwelle confidently converted, scoring his second goal of the season (1:0).
An hour into the match, Daugavpils substituted Ukrainian midfielder Artem Harza, who played his farewell game before moving to a Czech top-tier club. Grobiņa responded with several dangerous attacks, but goalkeeper Jānis Beks made saves.
In the 81st minute, Daugavpils missed a golden chance when Joel Jakubu shot wide after Ndžikī's run. Shortly after, VAR intervened again when Oladotun Olatunde-Matthew fouled Mamadou Sillah in the box, giving Daugavpils a second penalty. However, Ndžikī slipped and missed the target.
Both teams play next on Thursday: Daugavpils host Riga, while Grobiņa face Auda.
