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Police fail to break opening match jinx after goalless draw with Ulinzi
Kenya Police Goalkeeper Job Ochieng chips past Ulinzi Stars Paul Okoth during a Sportpesa league match played on October 1, 2025, at Kenya Police Sacco Stadium.
Nothing could separate Kenya Police and Ulinzi Stars as the two teams battled to a goalless draw in a 2025/26 SportPesa League Round Three match at the Police Sacco Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
The match was Kenya Police's first of the new season. Their first two matches of the season -- against Mara Sugar and Bidco United -- were rescheduled to allow the law enforcers to honour their fixtures in the preliminary qualifying round of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League against Somalia's Mogadishu City Club.
The reigning Kenyan league prevailed over the Somali club on the away goals rule after the encounter ended 3-3 on aggregate. Police won the first leg 3-1 before narrowly surviving elimination in the second leg after Mogadishu City claimed a 2-0 away victory.
The result against the soldiers marked the fifth consecutive season that Kenya Police FC had failed to win their first match of the season. Their opening matches of the last four seasons yielded two losses and two draws.
For Ulinzi Stars, the result maintained their unbeaten start to the season. They defeated Murang'a Seal 1-0 in their opening match and followed that result with a 0-0 draw against Kariobangi Sharks.
Speaking after the match, Ulinzi Stars coach Danstan Nyaudo described his team as a work in progress.
"I am keen on building a competitive team. The players I am working with are young and slowly improving. Today, we played the champions and we created more chances than them. We were more motivated because this is a derby and we played our hearts out," Nyaudo said.
Both teams struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first half, a period which passed as catching, jumping, and parrying practice for the two goalkeepers -- Kenya Police's Job Ochieng' and Ulinzi Stars' Sylvain Ricks. The two shotstoppers spent the first half scooping balls from the air, either from crosses or tame long range efforts.
The second half saw both teams coming close to change the score on several occasions. Police's remained blunt but were thrice gifted chances to score but the Ulinzi Stars defence making poor clearances that left the ball loose in their box. Fortunately, Police's attack was slow to pounce and the Soldiers recovered quickly each time to clear the danger.
On the other end, Ulinzi Stars bombarded Police's box with more enterprise. Job Ochieng' was forced into making spectacular saves after being sprayed by long-range shots from Boniface Muchiri, Leon Levitt, and Paul Mwasi.
In the end, the result was not any different from six of the last eight league matches between the two teams which also ended in draws.
In the day's other matches, Nairobi United made their bow in the big time with a 1-0 away win against Mara Sugar at the Awendo Green Stadium. At the Kasarani Annex Stadium, Mathare United held Tusker to a goalless draw, a result that stretched the Brewers winless streak in the league to seven matches.
