Mathare United players celebrate during a previous match/ FILEMathare United forward Dennis Okoth is bullish that the Slum Boys can come back with a bang from the long break and secure a resounding victory against his former club Shabana on Sunday at the Gusii stadium.
Okoth signed for the Slum Boys at the start of the 2025/26 season from Shabana.
Mathare last featured in competitive action on October 5, before the league went on an international break.
The competition was set to resume the previous weekend but was shelved following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and the subsequent announcement of seven days of mourning.
Okoth revealed that the extended pause has been a blessing in disguise, giving them ample time to fine-tune their sharpness in front of goal.
“We have been focusing on our finishing in front of the goal,” Okoth said.
The forward, who has been ever-present in John Kamau’s line-up this season, says he is beginning to feel at home under the coach’s tactical approach.
“The games we have played have been good. We have won one, drawn one and lost two and I have featured in all of them,” he noted.
“I have already started adapting to the playing style of the coach and I can say it’s going great.”
After four rounds of fixtures, Mathare sit 13th on the log with four points.
Their campaign kicked off with a 2-1 defeat to Posta Rangers on September 22, where Faustin Ojiambo and Trevor Omondi sealed the points for the mailmen.
Kamau’s men responded superbly, grinding out a 1-0 victory over KCB courtesy of a well-taken Ellie Asieche strike, before holding Tusker to a goalless draw on October 1.
Their resurgence, however, hit a bump on the road during the slum derby, where they succumbed 2-1 to Kariobangi Sharks at the Kasarani Annex.
An unfortunate own goal and a Markvivan Kesa strike did the damage, with Asieche’s late effort merely offering consolation.
Despite the mixed start, Okoth insists the squad has absorbed valuable lessons from the early rounds.
“We have learnt from our mistakes in the previous matches and also picked some positives we hope to use in the coming games,” he said.
The 23-year-old also underlined the team’s season objective of a bold push for the top five.
“At the moment, our target is a top-five finish in the league, so we are putting in the work every day in training,” he added.
However, Mathare will need to be at their sharpest against an in-form Shabana, who sit second on the log with seven points.
The Glamour Boys have notched wins over APS Bomet (4-2) and Bandari (1-0), drawn 1-1 with Tusker and lost 2-1 to Rangers.
Mathare will take confidence from their recent record against Shabana, having edged them 1-0 in last season’s first-leg clash through Brian Ouru’s 33rd-minute strike, before sharing the spoils in a goalless reverse fixture.
Okoth, meanwhile, has a rallying message for the fans as the team looks to reignite its season.
“To our fans, we are pushing hard and hope to turn the tide in our next games,” he said.
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