Nairobi United produced a ruthless display to hand title contenders Shabana FC a 3–1 defeat in their Football Kenya Federation Premier League match, overturning the hosts’ dominant performance with clinical finishing.

Despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession, the Glamour Boys were left to rue missed chances as Naibois maximised their opportunities to walk away with all three points at the packed Gusii fortress.

Match stats

Shabana, under the tutelage of head coach Peter Okidi, controlled much of the contest, recording an impressive 68 per cent possession compared to Nairobi United’s 32 per cent. They also attempted nearly double the number of shots, firing 19 efforts at goal against Nairobi’s 10, while winning 10 corners to the visitors’ four. However, dominance in statistics failed to translate into goals.

The visitors struck first through Dancan Omala, who opened the scoring in the 18th minute before doubling Nairobi United’s advantage shortly after the break in the 44th minute. Michael Karamor scored the third goal for Nichola Muyoti’s charges. Brian Michira scored the consolation for the home side in the dying minutes of the game.

Efficiency proved to be the key difference between the two sides. Nairobi United registered a superior shot accuracy of 30 per cent compared to Shabana’s 21 per cent, underlining their sharpness in front of goal. While Shabana completed more passes (260) with a higher pass accuracy of 85 per cent, Nairobi United’s direct approach yielded better results.

Discipline slightly favoured the hosts, who picked up one yellow card compared to Nairobi United’s two, while both teams were caught offside twice.

Naibois technical bench additions

Ahead of the match, Nairobi United’s Technical Director, Salim Ali and Head Coach, Nicholas Muyoti, had weighed in on the revamped technical bench of the team. The FKF Cup holders have added new personnel to their technical unit, a move aimed at enhancing tactical input and overall performance ahead of a busy 2026 calendar that includes domestic competitions and continental action. 

Among the new arrivals is Boniface Omondi Musa, who joins the team as an assistant coach. Musa is a CAF B licence holder and previously worked with the 2018 FKF Cup winners Kariobangi Sharks.