For Nairobi United to rise, mighty Gor Mahia had to fall

Nairobi United, also known as Naibois, completed a fairy-tale season on Sunday after stunning giants Gor Mahia 2-1 in the FKF Cup final at Ulinzi Sports Complex.

The win was not only historic but also confirmed the rise of a new football powerhouse in Kenya.

Frank Ouya gave United the perfect start with an amazing acrobatic finish in the first half, sending their fans into wild celebrations. Gor Mahia, the record FKF Cup winners, responded through Ben Stanley Omondi who levelled the score with a powerful strike.

But it was Enock Machaka who sealed the deal for Nairobi United with a long-range rocket that flew past the Gor goalkeeper. 

The FKF Cup victory completed a perfect season for Nairobi United who also finished top of the National Super League (NSL) table with 72 points.

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They won 21 games, drew 9 and only lost 5, scoring 56 goals and conceding just 26 to end with a goal difference of 30.

Head coach Nicholas Muyoti praised his team for the hard work and belief they showed throughout the season.

“When I joined, I emphasised on the importance of belief and a winning mentality. In the second leg of the NSL season, we only lost twice. Those were learning moments. After every match, we would review our performance and correct our mistakes,” said Muyoti.

Naibois reached the FKF Cup final after eliminating strong sides such as KCB (last year's losing finalists), 2023 champions Kakamega Homeboyz, 2016 champions Tusker, and Mara Sugar.

Their path to the title showed that they were not afraid of facing experienced Premier League clubs.

Gor Mahia, on the other hand, had a season to forget despite finishing second in the FKF Premier League. They lost the league title to Kenya Police, who will now represent the country in the CAF Champions League.

Gor’s FKF Cup loss now means they miss out on continental football next season.

With promotion to the top flight already secured alongside APS Bomet, and a major trophy in the bag, Nairobi United are now preparing for life in the FKF Premier League.

Naivas FC, who finished third in NSL with 62 points, still have a chance to join them if they can overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Posta Rangers in the promotion/relegation playoff.