The combined Soyo-Ngoyo force was led by Estêvão Da Silva, and the Portuguese by João Soares de Almeida.

[4] Within a few months of the national tragedy at Mbwila, the Prince of Soyo Paulo da Silva invaded the capital of São Salvador and installed his protégé, Afonso II on the throne.

King Rafael I of Kongo, driven by Soyo from his capital, fled to Luanda, where he sought Portuguese aid to restore him to the throne.

[6] The governor of Luanda, Francisco de Távora, ordered a force of Portuguese, augmented by native allies such as the feared Imbangala, into Soyo to crush the kingdom once and for all.

[6] It included 400 musketeers, a rare detachment of cavalry, 4 light cannons, an unknown number of levee bowmen, Imbangala auxiliaries and even some naval vessels.

[6] The decisive engagement of the campaign occurred near or at a wooded area called Nfinda Ngula near the large village of Kitombo in October.

[6] The BaKongo forces regrouped at Nfinda Ngula, a densely forested area that had served Soyo well in their battles against Kongo during the invasions of Garcia II.

[10][5] It proved difficult to access for the Portuguese artillery, allowing the allied force to use the Dutch light field pieces to good effect.

[3] Soyo and the House of Kimpanzu became even more powerful in the politics of the region, but never attained the wealth of pre-Mbwila Kongo as the Portuguese had feared.