Gor Mahia, Ulinzi Stars share spoils in Kasarani thriller

Gor Mahia and Ulinzi Stars settled for a 1–1 draw in an entertaining Kenyan Premier League clash at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Sunday.

Gor Mahia made one change from their previous outing, with Ernest Wendo starting in place of Samuel Kapen. Ulinzi Stars introduced three new faces — goalkeeper Timothy Odhiambo returned between the posts, while defenders Bildad Otieno and Brian Emilio were recalled to strengthen the back line and midfield, respectively.

The defending champions started brightly, dominating possession in the early stages as Shariff Musa and Austin Odhiambo combined effectively in attack. Their pressure paid off in the sixth minute when Felix Oluoch opened the scoring, finishing calmly after neat interplay involving Alpha Onyango and Wendo.

Gor Mahia continued to control the tempo and kept Ulinzi pinned in their own half, with goalkeeper Bryne Omondi rarely tested. However, Ulinzi struck back in the 34th minute when Boniface Muchiri pounced on a loose ball in the box to level the score at 1–1 — a goal that came largely against the run of play.

The equaliser lifted Ulinzi’s confidence, and they matched Gor Mahia’s intensity as the first half drew to a close.

After the restart, Gor Mahia pushed to regain the lead, with Musa at the heart of their attacking moves. In the 52nd minute, he was brought down on the edge of the penalty area, earning a promising free-kick. Austin Odhiambo delivered a dangerous ball into the box, but the Ulinzi defence stood firm.

In a bid to add more pace in attack, Ulinzi head coach Bernard Mwalala introduced Paul Odhiambo for Enock Ochieng in the 61st minute. The substitution gave the visitors more bite on the counterattack, though Gor Mahia continued to dominate possession without finding a breakthrough.

Both teams created half-chances in the closing stages, but neither managed to convert, and the match ended in a hard-fought stalemate.

The result leaves Gor Mahia maintaining their unbeaten run, while Ulinzi Stars will take encouragement from securing a valuable point away from home.