Leopards claw gap on leaders Gor Mahia after disarming Ulinzi

AFC Leopards midfielder Tyson Otieno in action against Mara Sugar goalkeeper Joseph Ogenda and Robinson Musungu during SportPesa Premier League match at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

AFC Leopards boosted their Sportpesa Premier League title hopes after beating Ulinzi Stars 2-0 in a rescheduled midweek match played at Nyayo National Stadium on Wednesday. 

Kelly Madada and Emmanuel Laangu scored for Ingwe as the former champions picked up three important points to pile pressure on league leaders Gor Mahia with only three matches left before the end of the 2025-2026 season. 

The victory saw Leopards reduce Gor Mahia’s lead at the top of the table from seven points to four, setting up an exciting finish to the title race. 

Gor Mahia remain top with 65 points after dropping points in the 1-1 draw against defending champions Kenya Police over the weekend, while Leopards now sit second on 61 points. 

With the season heading into the final stretch, the battle for the championship is now expected to go down to the wire, with both sides fighting for every point. 

Leopards looked determined from the opening whistle and controlled large parts of the match against a struggling Ulinzi side desperate to move away from the relegation zone. 

Madada opened the scoring to hand Ingwe the advantage before Laangu sealed the win with the second goal to send the Leopards fans into celebration. 

The defeat was another major setback for Ulinzi Stars, whose relegation fears continue to grow.

The soldiers remain in the bottom three in 16th place with 32 points and are now staring at the possibility of dropping out of the top flight unless they improve quickly in their remaining matches.

Elsewhere, Mara Sugar claimed a dramatic 1-0 win over Shabana in another rescheduled league match played at Awendo Green Stadium yesterday.

Substitute Dennis Wafula emerged the hero for the hosts after scoring deep into stoppage time to end Shabana’s three-match unbeaten run. 

Shabana had entered the match hoping to continue their fine run and strengthen their push for a top-three finish, while Mara Sugar were seeking to recover from the recent defeat to AFC Leopards.

The game appeared headed for a draw before Mara Sugar found the breakthrough in the 94th minute.  

Shabana failed to clear a loose ball in the box and Wafula reacted quickest to calmly slot home the winner, sparking wild celebrations among the home supporters.

The victory lifted Mara Sugar to ninth place on 43 points, while Shabana remained fifth on 48 points after suffering a painful late defeat.