Gor Mahia crowned league champions despite final day defeat to Nairobi United
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Reading Time: 4min | Sun. 31.05.26. | 17:28
The Green Army ended their season with 69 points, with their bitter rivals AFC Leopards coming in second
Gor Mahia were on Sunday, 31 May officially crowned as the champions of the 2025-2026 FKF Premier League season, despite going 1-0 down to Nairobi United on the final day at the Nyayo National Stadium.
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In-front of a capacity crowd at the facility, K’Ogalo were off colour in their final outing of the season, falling to a first half header from Enock Machaka.
However, the result did little to dampen the reality that they had recaptured their title, and stood aloft as the most successful club in the country.
The sense of a historic day for Gor Mahia began early Sunday morning, when fans rocked the Nairobi streets in their usual best, holding out their famous gathering at the Tom Mboya statue, before making their procession to the stadium.
The Gor Mahia team bus, on the other hand, was escorted safely to the grounds almost three hours to kickoff, with the players carrying out a special guard of honor for their experienced stalwarts Philemon Otieno and Ernest Wendo, who were representing the club for the final time, following their decorated careers spanning nine and 11 years, respectively.
Minutes to kickoff, club legend and former goalkeeper Jerim Onyango paraded the trophy, fitted with green ribbons, to the thousands of fans in the ground, before his fellow alumni and current Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga, made a walk into the pitch, and had a feel of the trophy he lifted unbeaten in 2015.
When the moment came for both teams to make entry, Nairobi United showed respect to the league champions by according them a worthy guard of honor, but would end up showing no grace, once the whistle blew.
Having promised a show worthy of league champions, Charles Akonnor and his side were left with a bitter taste in their mouths as the often slippery Nairobi United gate-crashed the party, effectively stopping K'Ogalo from hacking the 70-point season mark.
The side that last season beat Gor Mahia to the Mozzart Bet Cup title were no pushovers infront of a sea of green, and could have taken an early lead inside the first three minutes, when Dancan Odhiambo put the ball into the net, only for the assistant referee's flag to go up.
A few minutes later, the Naibois youngster was again close to breaking the deadlock, but to lift his effort from just inside the box over the bar.
Kepha Wanjala would go close for the visitors in the 16th minute, but was unfortunate to see his headed chance at a corner bounce just wide.
The hosts, who had limbered to a goalless mid-week draw against Mara Sugar, created their first threat in the 19th minute, when Shariff Musa drove through the left by-line, only for his cutback to be whacked over by a closing Ben Stanley Omondi.
Dancan, on the other end, could not believe his luck after missing to connect with a teasing ball from Machaka, which was surprisingly not handled by keeper Gad Mathews.
It would not take long for the visitors to strike however, as a wonderfully constructed move ended up with Dancan lifting a cross ball for Machaka, who was strategically placed at the backpost to head past Mathews in the 26th minute.
What had began as a day of celebration was slowly silenced, with the loud drums and dances taking a slight pause.
Off color Gor Mahia were, however, not to leave without a fight, as they heaped pressure for much of the second half, but to no reward.
A contensious moment in the game came with 10 minutes to go, when second half substitute Patrick Essombe thought he had given his side the equalizer, only for his teammate - Ebenezer Assifuah - to be called for a foul on goalkeeper Bernard Jairo.
All of Paul Ochuoga, Alpha Onyango and Jackson Dwang had before that attempted from range, but were made due to take a fifth loss of the season, which at the end did not mean much to the title celebrations that would follow.
Relegation battle goes straight to the wire
Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, the race to avoid the drop went to the final minutes of the season, this after 16th placed Kariobangi Sharks put up a valiant fight to nearly drag fellow basement sides Mathare United and Ulinzi Stars into the equation.
Sharks, needing a big win and another couple of results to go their way, caused a scare when they took a 5-0 lead - and eventual 6-0 win over already-relegated Sofapaka, bringing forth the possibility of either Mathare, or Ulinzi going down, incase they both lost.
That was not to be, however, as both sides won; Ulinzi beating Posta Rangers 1-0, with Mathare United recording a similar win over Bandari.
The results meant that despite their effort, Sharks are relegated from the top-tier, pending a legal challenge on the league relegation rules.
Waithira clinches Golden Boot
As for the end-of-season awards, Murang'a Seal striker Joe Waithira won the league's 'Golden Boot' after ending his campaign with 19 goals, just one clear of closest challenger Paul Okoth, who added one on the final weekend to take his tally to 18.
The 'Golden Glove' award remained unchanged, with Shabana keeper Stephen Ochieng maintaining his total of 16 clean-sheets, which won him the accolade earlier this month.