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Promotion push meets survival scrap as NSL heats up on Saturday
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Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 20.12.25. | 09:11
Naivas find themselves on a torrid run, having suffered five consecutive defeats and going seven matches without a win
After a series of thrilling midweek clashes, the National Super League (NSL) returns on Saturday, 20 December, with two mouthwatering fixtures that could significantly shape the direction of the 2025/26 campaign.
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Headlining the day’s action is a compelling coastal showdown at Mbaraki Stadium, where second-placed Mombasa United host league debutants Gucha Stars in what promises to be a fiercely contested encounter.
The Mombasa-based outfit come into the fixture buoyed by a confidence-boosting 3–0 demolition of bottom-placed Mwatate United, a result that reignited belief after a recent spell of inconsistency.
That emphatic victory will be viewed as the perfect platform for Gilbert Selebwa’s charges to rediscover the early-season momentum that once saw them set the pace in the promotion race.
Currently sitting second on 25 points, four adrift of league leaders Migori Youth, United will be targeting nothing short of maximum points as they seek to close the gap at the summit and mount a serious title push.
Victory would also strengthen their bid for a historic first-ever promotion to the FKF Premier League.
Equally crucial for the coastal side is the need to steady a campaign that has appeared increasingly murky over the past month.
However, United’s formidable home record offers encouragement, having registered seven of their wins at Mbaraki Stadium, and they will once again bank on their home dominance to ward off the threat posed by the visitors.
Standing in their way is a determined Gucha Stars side riding high after a vital 1–0 victory over seasoned campaigners Naivas FC.
That result ended a three-week winless spell and injected renewed belief into the Kisii-based outfit’s camp.
Placed 12th with 17 points but boasting two games in hand, coach Sammy Okoth’s charges will be eager to build momentum, with a second consecutive win potentially propelling them past the 20-point mark and firmly back into the promotion conversation.
With this clash marking the first-ever meeting between the two sides, and with valuable points on offer, fans can expect an enthralling contest by the coast.
Elsewhere, attention shifts to KHIBT Grounds, where two struggling sides lock horns as Naivas FC face FC Talanta in a battle desperate for revival.
Naivas find themselves on a torrid run, having suffered five consecutive defeats and going seven matches without a win.
Head coach Elvis Ayani is under growing pressure and will be desperate to halt the slide and steer his side back to winning ways.
The seasoned second-tier outfit last tasted victory over five weeks ago, on 8 November, with a 2–1 win against Soy United.
Since then, their alarming run has seen them slip to 14th place on 16 points, just two points above the relegation zone.
However, they face a Talanta side equally eager to turn the tide. The Communications Authority of Kenya-backed club, relegated from the FKF Premier League barely six months ago, have endured a difficult return to life in the NSL.
Jackson Gatheru’s side has managed five wins from 14 outings since September, a return that leaves them 10 points off the summit and far from their ambition of an immediate top-flight return.
With both sides desperate for points, Naivas seeking to end a prolonged winless run and reignite a third promotion bid that has faltered in recent seasons, and Talanta aiming to revive their campaign after a three-match winless stretch, the encounter promises a high-stakes, no-holds-barred battle.
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