Tusker's Aboubacar Doumbia battles with Stephen Nyongesa of Ulinzi Stars/HANDOUT Tusker FC launched their 2026/27 SportPesa League campaign with a commanding 2-0 victory over Ulinzi Stars at Lang’ata Complex on Sunday, with Alvin Mangeni and Victor Mbaoma delivering the knockout blows in a second-half display that left the soldiers chasing shadows.
The brewers weathered Ulinzi’s early threat before turning on the style after the break, with assistant coach Antony ‘Modo’ Kimani delighted by his side’s patience and clinical finishing.
“We knew this was not going to be an easy match. Ulinzi came out strongly and made it difficult for us to find space, but we kept working, remained patient and waited for our opportunities,” Kimani said.
The afternoon began with Ulinzi throwing down the gauntlet, determined to spoil Tusker’s opening-day ambitions. The soldiers came charging out of their barracks in the fourth minute when Jacob Onyango unsettled the Tusker backline, forcing the Brewers to concede a corner.
Tusker responded three minutes later, but reigning Most Valuable Player Fabian Adikiny squandered an early opportunity, directing his effort straight at Ulinzi goalkeeper Ricks Omondi.
The brewers gradually tightened their grip on the contest, probing for openings against a stubborn Ulinzi rearguard. Neither side could find the breakthrough before the interval, leaving the contest delicately poised at 0-0. Tusker returned from the dressing room with renewed purpose, introducing Joof and Teka for John Otieno and Steve Omondi to inject fresh legs into their attack.
Ulinzi coach Mulinge Ndeto felt his side had competed well in the opening half but acknowledged they failed to maintain their discipline after the restart.
“We started the game with the right attitude and competed well against a very experienced team. Unfortunately, we did not sustain that level for the entire match,” Ndeto said.
The breakthrough came in the 68th minute, with Ian Simiyu whipping a dangerous cross into the penalty area. Abou displayed excellent awareness to cushion the ball into Mangeni’s path, and the forward side-footed into the net to shatter Ulinzi’s resistance.
Kimani praised the movement and understanding that produced the opener, saying his players had shown the composure required to unlock a stubborn defence.
“That was the kind of goal we had been looking for. The delivery was good, the movement inside the box was excellent, and Mangeni showed great composure with his finish,” he said.
The goal was a hammer blow to the soldiers, who had to abandon their defensive caution and hunt for an equaliser. Yet, in pushing forward, they left dangerous spaces behind them. Mbaoma needed no second invitation.
In the 75th minute, Tusker launched a ball behind the Ulinzi defence, allowing the Nigerian forward to burst into the opening, control the ball and race towards Omondi before unleashing a ruthless finish into the roof of the net. Ndeto rued the defensive lapse that allowed Mbaoma to put the contest beyond his side’s reach.
“At this level, you cannot switch off for even a moment and expect to get away with it. We must take responsibility for those mistakes, learn from them and make sure we are much more alert in our next match,” he said. Kimani was equally impressed by the striker’s execution.
“Mbaoma showed exactly what we expect from a striker. He made the right run, controlled the situation and finished with tremendous confidence,” he said.
Tusker introduced Etyang and Warsa for Abou and Ian as they sought to protect their advantage and extinguish any hopes of a Ulinzi revival.
For the Brewers, the victory offers an early statement of intent in their pursuit of the league crown, while Ulinzi must regroup after an afternoon in which their resistance was broken by two moments of clinical finishing. Kimani warned against complacency despite the encouraging start.
“Winning the first match is important because it gives the players confidence, but there is still a long way to go. We must keep improving, stay focused and approach every match with the same hunger,” he said. Ndeto urged his players to learn from the defeat and respond in their next assignment.
“We need greater concentration, better decision-making and more courage when we have the ball. We will go back to training, correct our mistakes and prepare ourselves to come back stronger,” he said. The closing stages were also marked by touchline drama when Tusker coach Julien Mette was shown a red card following protests against the match officials.
The result gives Tusker three valuable points at the start of the new campaign, while Ulinzi are left nursing a bitter opening-day hangover.
