Muluya pinpoints major source of poor run dragging Kariobangi Sharks closer to relegation
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Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 20.01.26. | 14:32
Sharks will look to begin the second half of the campaign on a stronger footing when they travel to Mombasa to face a resurgent Bandari FC
Kariobangi Sharks head coach William Muluya has identified a fragile mentality within his squad as the primary factor behind the club’s alarming slump in the 2025/26 FKF Premier League season, a downturn that has left the once-stable top-flight side staring at the real prospect of relegation.
Sharks are enduring one of their most difficult campaigns since earning promotion to the top tier in 2016.
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After 17 league matches, the 2018 Mozzart Bet Cup winners have managed just two victories, a 1–0 win over Bidco United and a 2–1 success against Mathare United.
Those rare bright spots have been overshadowed by seven draws and eight defeats, a run of results that has anchored the Nairobi-based club to the foot of the 18-team standings on 13 points.
Although they remain only two points adrift of safety, a position currently occupied by Bidco United, Sharks’ prolonged stay in the relegation zone has heightened concern around a team widely regarded as one of the league’s most progressive outfits in recent years.
Muluya’s assessment came in the aftermath of another setback on Sunday, 18 January, when his youthful side fell to a 2–0 defeat against Kakamega Homeboyz at Bukhungu Stadium.
The loss marked Sharks’ eighth of the season and extended their winless run to four matches, further underlining the depth of their struggles.
Speaking after the match, the former Harambee Stars second assistant coach pointed to his players’ mental approach as the decisive shortcoming undermining otherwise encouraging performances.
“We played well, but if you do not create chances or take them, you will definitely lose matches.
We conceded early and from there it became a mental issue, which has been our biggest undoing this season. We went flat in the match and could not fight and it is a worrying concern for us," he said.
The tactician also took responsibility for tactical misjudgements, admitting that the technical bench erred in starting a player who was not fully match-ready whilst admitting they have to find a solution for his players mental strength.
That decision forced an early reshuffle, with Costa Anjeo withdrawn in the first half and replaced by Zablon Kutera in an attempt to revive Sharks’ attacking threat after falling behind.
“We have to blame ourselves as coaches as well. We made a first-half substitution because we started a player who was not fully ready. That was our mistake.
But going forward, we must work on the mental aspects of the players as we head into the final stretch of the season," he stated.
With the first leg drawn to a close, Muluya and his charges now face the urgent task of resetting and rediscovering belief.
Sharks will look to begin the second half of the campaign on a stronger footing when they travel to Mombasa to face a resurgent Bandari FC.
The Dockers have found renewed momentum under the returning Bernard Mwalala and arrive in the fixture on the back of a two-match winning run.
