Ulinzi Stars Secure Vital Win Over Mathare United

Ulinzi Stars dragged themselves a step clear of the FKF Premier League trapdoor on Saturday, grinding out a 2-1 victory over Mathare United that felt bigger than just three points.

This was about survival. About breathing space.

The result lifted the soldiers to 15th in the table, a small climb on paper but a significant psychological leap for a side that has been flirting with the relegation zone for weeks. The tension around the club has been building; this win cut through it.

It did not come easily.

Assistant coach Mohammed Hassan, better known as ‘Rio’, admitted the afternoon refused to follow the script he had written for his players.

“The game was not easy. Our plan was to get an early goal but we were not successful in the first half. We managed to come back strongly in the second half and get the result we wanted,” he said after the match.

The early breakthrough never arrived. Nerves tightened. Every misplaced pass carried a little extra weight, every attack from Mathare a reminder of what was at stake. Yet Ulinzi stayed in the fight, then turned the contest after the break with the kind of urgency their league position demands.

When the chances finally came, they took them. The pressure told, and with it came belief.

For Rio, this was more than just a much-needed win; it was a statement that Ulinzi intend to stay in the top flight.

“This win means a lot to us because we are fighting not to be relegated. I told the players to play for the badge and forget whether they are civilians or soldiers. What matters is fighting for the badge,” he stressed.

That message has become the club’s rallying cry. Stripped of excuses, stripped of labels, the demand is simple: fight.

Ulinzi’s players responded with the kind of resilience their coach demanded, digging in during the tense closing stages to protect the lead. Rio was quick to credit their mentality, hailing the determination that carried them over the line in a pressure-filled encounter.

There is no time to linger on it.

Tusker FC await on Wednesday, another stern examination of Ulinzi’s character and their renewed sense of purpose. Rio knows the challenge rises again and insists the approach must evolve with it.

“We have another tough match on Wednesday against Tusker and we hope to approach it in a different manner,” he said.

One hurdle cleared, another already in sight. The relegation fight is far from over, but Ulinzi Stars have finally given themselves something they had been missing for weeks: a platform to believe they can finish this battle on their own terms.