Africa-Press – Kenya. Ulinzi Stars gave themselves a fighting chance in the relegation battle after a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Nairobi United, a result that offered timely relief in the closing stretch of the 2025/2026 SportPesa Premier League season.
While the win eased immediate pressure, it did little to alter the broader reality. The Soldiers remain firmly in the survival fight, where the stakes are higher, with the bottom three sides facing direct relegation without the cushion of a playoff.
The match, played at Police Sacco Stadium, also marked a new chapter for the club, as interim head coach James Mulinge Ndeto took charge for the first time following the departure of Stephen Ocholla.
A poor run of results had dragged Ulinzi into the lower reaches of the table, prompting the change in leadership. Despite the positive start, Ndeto was quick to downplay the significance of the result, insisting that survival will depend on consistency rather than isolated performances.
“This is a good step for us, but it is only a step. Nothing is solved yet,” Ndeto said. “We are still in a difficult situation, and everyone knows that. What I saw today is effort and willingness, but effort alone does not keep you safe in this league.”
He stressed that the team’s biggest challenge lies in maintaining stability as the season enters its decisive phase. “What we need now is to build something stable. We cannot afford highs and lows every week. If you want to survive, you must learn how to manage games and manage pressure. That is where we are lacking, and that is what we are working on,” he added.
Assistant captain Boniface Muchiri echoed that caution, warning teammates against complacency despite the much-needed victory. “We know exactly where we are; nobody is hiding from that. It has been a tough season, and one result does not change the bigger picture,” Muchiri said.
“What matters is how we respond now. In this position, you don’t get time to relax, you don’t get time to feel good about yourself for long. You either keep pushing or you get dragged back into trouble.” He underlined the urgency required in the remaining fixtures, noting how little separates safety from danger.
“At this stage, every game is pressure. Every point is important. We cannot pick and choose moments. Even when you win, you go back and focus on the next one immediately because the gap between safety and danger is very small,” he added.
Elsewhere, results around the league did little to ease the tension at the bottom. Bidco United and Sofapaka FC played out a goalless draw that kept both sides entrenched in the danger zone, while APS Bomet also managed only a point, leaving the relegation picture tightly packed and unpredictable.
Teams just above the drop zone are also far from safe, with Kariobangi Sharks still within reach of the bottom three as the table compresses heading into the final stretch. At the top end, Gor Mahia continue to set the pace after another win, with AFC Leopards and Kenya Police FC maintaining the chase in a tightly contested title race.
For Ulinzi Stars, however, the focus remains purely on survival. The victory has not lifted them out of danger, but it has slowed the slide and handed Ndeto a platform to begin reshaping a side that has spent much of the campaign under intense pressure.
Whether that moment of relief can spark a sustained turnaround now becomes the defining question, because in a relegation fight this tight, one win only matters if it leads to another.
