Ulinzi Stars Secure Vital Win Over Mathare United

Ulinzi Stars finally found the kind of result that keeps a season alive.

Under the weight of relegation pressure and with nerves fraying, the soldiers dug out a 2-1 victory over Mathare United on Saturday, a win that drags them up to 15th in the FKF Premier League table and, crucially, out of immediate danger.

It was not pretty. It did not need to be.

Assistant coach Mohammed Hassan, better known as ‘Rio’, admitted the afternoon had tested every bit of their resolve.

“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, summing up a contest that demanded patience before finally tilting Ulinzi’s way.

For weeks, Ulinzi have hovered uncomfortably close to the trapdoor, their margin for error shrinking with every fixture. This, then, felt bigger than three points. It felt like a statement that they are not ready to surrender their top-flight status.

Rio did not hide the significance.

“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. In a squad that blends military men and civilians, Rio stripped everything back to a simple demand: pride in the shirt, and a refusal to buckle.

The players responded with the kind of determination Ulinzi fans have been desperate to see. Under pressure, they held their nerve. When chances came, they made them count. When Mathare pushed, they stood firm.

Rio, watching from the touchline, saw a group that finally matched the urgency of their situation.

He hailed their resilience and character in what was, by any measure, a high-stakes encounter, praising the way they fought through a tense, unforgiving contest to secure the win.

There is no time to bask in it.

Tusker FC await on Wednesday, a different type of test, and Ulinzi know one result does not complete a rescue mission. Survival is a campaign, not a moment.

“We have another tough match on Wednesday against Tusker and we hope to approach it in a different manner,” Rio noted, already turning his gaze to the next battle.

The pressure has eased, but only slightly. Ulinzi have pulled themselves away from the edge. Now comes the real question: can they turn one defiant step into a full march away from the drop?