National Super League (NSL) promotion dispute settled after lengthy court case
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 01.10.25. | 11:27
Soy United will face Bumbani Stars in a playoff to determine the final slot in the NSL
Gucha Stars have finally secured promotion to the National Super League (NSL) after the FKF Leagues and Competitions Committee (LCC) upheld the result of their replayed fixture against Nakuru Bucks.
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The decisive match, played at the Ulinzi Sports Complex last Friday on orders of the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT), ended controversially in the 86th minute.
Gucha were leading 2-0 when the game was abandoned after the assistant referee was allegedly attacked by a section of fans.
On Tuesday, the LCC ruled that the score at the time of abandonment would stand, confirming Gucha as 2-0 winners and thereby sealing their long-awaited promotion to the NSL.
The committee also dismissed Gucha’s protest over the eligibility of certain Nakuru Bucks players, declaring the claims lacked merit.
With the decision, Gucha Stars now take their place in the 2025/26 NSL, ending months of uncertainty that had stalled the start of the league.
Promotion saga
The promotion drama began at the end of last season when Nakuru Bucks accused Gucha Stars of fielding an ineligible player, Eugene Nyakaga, in their Division One clash.
Investigations later revealed that the player in question was actually Bildad Marube, who had impersonated Nyakaga.
Since Nyakaga was not registered on FIFA Connect, the FKF Leagues and Competitions Committee ruled on May 23, 2025, that Gucha had violated registration rules.
The committee awarded Nakuru Bucks a 3-0 win, docked Gucha three points, and suspended Nyakaga for one year. This decision saw Gucha drop from first to third place, handing Soy United the automatic promotion slot while Compel SC advanced to the playoff.
Unhappy with the ruling, Gucha lodged an appeal. The FKF Appeals Committee partly upheld their case, acknowledging that the LCC had acted beyond its mandate but still maintained the sanctions.
Determined to fight on, Gucha took the matter to the Sports Disputes Tribunal, which ordered a replay of the match against Nakuru Bucks.
The replay—eventually staged on Friday, 26 September 2025—ended in chaos but with Gucha firmly in control at 2-0. The LCC’s decision to uphold that result now restores their promotion hopes and confirms their place in the NSL.
The delay in resolving Gucha’s case threw the NSL calendar into disarray. The 2025/26 season, initially scheduled to kick off on Saturday, 13 September, was frozen after the Tribunal suspended the promotions of Soy United and Compel SC pending the outcome of the Gucha case.
With Gucha’s promotion now settled, Soy United will face Bumbani Stars in a playoff to determine the final slot in the NSL. Compel FC, who had beaten Bumbani in the now nullified playoff, will head back to the FKF Division One and try their luck in the coming season.
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