Nairobi United, famously known as “NaiBois” are this year’s FKF Cup winners after beating Kenya’s football giants, Gor Mahia 2-1 in an exciting final played at Ulinzi Sports Complex on Sunday, June 29 evening.
This is another milestone for the club after they won this year’s National Super League that confirmed their promotion to FKF Premier League next season.
The acquisition of the club by Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson through Sakaja Foundation in September last year has proved to be a turning point for the club. The takeover brought significant investment in youth development, infrastructure, and injected new energy into the club. “Focus on football, we will take care of you. Wake up, work, and think football.” Governor Sakaja assured the team during the official takeover. This changed the mentality, management, and prospects of the club, making it one of the best run clubs in Kenya.
Nairobi United has captivated Kenyan football fans thanks to their resilience, tactical brilliance, and penalty shoot-out heroics in the tournament. As a National Super League (NSL) side, they have defied all odds by eliminating four FKF Premier League teams, earning the “giants slayers” nickname.
Nairobi United’s FKF Cup campaign began in the Round of 64, where they beat Global Connection with a 3-1 scoreline. The win set up the tone for their giant-killing spree, showcasing their ability and building momentum early in the competition. In the round of 32, Nairobi United faced former champions Tuskers FC, where they eliminated them via penalties after drawing 1-1 in regular time. In the next round, they played KCB, last year’s finalist, and battled to 0-0 draw before winning the tie via penalties.
In Quarter Finals, they faced Kakamega Homeboys in an epic showdown where they came unstuck with a 2-0 win. In Semi-Finals, NaiBois were drawn against another FKL Premier League side, Mara Sugar. The match played ended in a 1-1, sending them to their 3rd penalty shootout, earning them a 3-1 win and getting a ticket to the final against Gor Mahia. This evening, they cemented their “giants slayers” nickname by thrashing K’ogalo by two goals to nil in regular time.
As the new FKF Cup winners, the Nicholas Muyoti coached team takes home KSh2 million and a chance to represent Kenya in the next season’s CAF Confederation Cup.
