Mathare United captain expresses confidence ahead of KCB fierce battle
By Joel Masibo, January 30, 2026Mathare United captain Brian Ochieng has expressed confidence as he leads the Slum Boys against KCB in Round 19 of the 2025/26 Football Kenya Federation Premier League action on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at Kasarani Annex.
In the reverse fixture, also played at the same venue, John Kamau’s men secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory thanks to a sublime free kick from Elli Asieche.
The win marked our first win of the season, and now the lads plan to secure the league double over the bankers and continue their resurgence.
Though that win is a confidence booster going into this latest meeting, Ochieng insists that he and his teammates will not dwell much on the past.
Different approach
“We won the reverse game, but that is all water under the bridge now. This is a different game with different dynamics, as well as different sets of players. We will tackle the game differently, the one constant, though, is that at the end of the final whistle, we need to take the three points,” he told the club media team.
Brian Ochieng was on target last weekend, scoring his first goal as a Slum Boy, as Mathare United drew 1-1 with Posta Rangers at the Annexe. That result made it two games unbeaten and followed a 1-0 win over Ulinzi Stars also at the Annex.
Mathare United have not won two consecutive matches this season and haven’t extended an unbeaten run past two matches this term. It has been a worrying trend which forced a team meeting at the end of the first leg.
Second leg consistency
“We had a candid discussion as players with the technical team and agreed that with the start of the second leg, we should be more consistent. Every game should be approached as a final as between now and the end of the season; anything can happen. I believe we all got onboard with one another after that meeting, and we can see now that the boys have responded with this recent run.” Ochieng added.
Ahead of the encounter, KCB are placed 10th on the log with 25 points, while Mathare United take position 12 with 22 points in 18 outings.