Mathare United forward Paul Kinyanjui has declared their clash against Mara Sugar today a must win affair as the Slum Boys fight to steer clear of the relegation dogfight at the Dandora Stadium.
Mathare, languishing in 13th place with 27 points, sit just five clear of rock-bottom Nairobi City Stars. Mara Sugar, perched in 10th, are only a point ahead in what has become a congested lower half of the table.
Kinyanjui is adamant that anything short of victory will heap unnecessary pressure on the squad.
“This is a must-win match because if we lose, we will have a lot of pressure which we don’t need right now,” he noted.
The Slum Boys have only recorded one win in 2025, a 1-0 win against top of the table Kenya Police on February 20.
They head into today’s fixture reeling from a 3-1 defeat in the Slum Derby against Kariobangi Sharks, where Elli Asieche’s early opener was cancelled out by goals from Steve Mbulere, Ghai Panchol and Humphrey Aroko.
Before that, they had secured back-to-back 1-1 draws against KCB and Murang’a Seal. “Mara Sugar is a good team, considering in the last two encounters, they have punished us because of the errors we have made.”
“This time round, we are going for a win because we have been working hard in training and sharpening up on the areas of our weakness,” he said.
In their previous league encounter against Mara Sugar, Mathare lost 3-0 courtesy of goals from David Owino, Batts Awita and Noah Jagongo on January 18.
Before that, the two last met in a National Super League (NSL) match, where Mara were 1-0 victorious.
The fixture holds sentimental value for Kinyanjui, as he made his Mathare debut against Mara Sugar in 2023 during an NSL clash at Utalii grounds— a game the Slum Boys won 2-0.
“My first game for Mathare was against Mara. I wasn’t sure I would get playing time, but I got the chance and I decided to put my best foot forward to get more playing time for future matches,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mara Sugar head into today’s clash on a four-game winless streak, having suffered a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of AFC before registering 1-1 draws against Sofapaka and Posta Rangers.
Their last outing was a barren draw against Bidco United
