Mathare United confirm the return of Leonard Odipo to its coaching staff
By Joel Masibo, January 30, 2026Football Kenya Federation Premier League side, Mathare United, has confirmed the reappointment of coach Leonard Odipo, who returns to the club two seasons after he left.
Familiar figure
Odipo, who took charge of the team during the 2023/24 season, our sole campaign in the National Super League (NSL), will take up a position as an assistant to John Kamau.
His appointment to the coaching setup follows that of Gabriel Njoroge.
“There is not a single word I can use to describe what I am feeling right now to be back home,” an elated Odipo said upon his unveiling to the rest of the team.
“When you are addicted to something, it becomes very difficult to describe your feelings. I am addicted to this club, and I am glad to be back to a place I call home,” he added.
This is Odipo’s fourth stint as a coach at Mathare United. The CAF A Licence holder arrives from Police Bullets, where he served as an assistant coach and helped guide the team to the summit of the Women’s Premier League standings.
Mathare vs KCB
His arrival at Mathare United comes after team 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.
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.
“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.
Meanwhile, Odipo arrives to assist the team as 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.