NAIROBI — The dusk settled heavily over the MISC Kasarani on Friday, but it was KCB shining under floodlights—dispatching Tusker 2-0 with ruthless efficiency to signal a seismic shift in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League’s balance of power. In the first fixture of the 2025/26 campaign, the team many predict to be “eternally on the cusp,” made their boldest opening proclamation yet: Tusker’s era of relative supremacy may be entering its twilight, and Robert Matano’s KCB are unafraid to hasten the night.

Omondi the Executioner, Kisaka the Creator

If opening nights are about new narratives, KCB wrote theirs with the tireless penmanship of Boniface Omondi—known to fans as Bajaj. The former Gor Mahia winger announced himself, and perhaps a new chapter in KCB’s history, with a superb brace.

Omondi’s first goal, in the 19th minute, was a poacher’s delight. December Kisaka, the architect on the left wing, lofted a cross that hung invitingly in the air. Omondi, always the opportunist, ghosted between Tusker’s center-backs and sent a bullet header past the otherwise reliable Joseph Ochuka. The goal was a testament to both delivery and desire; Kisaka’s cross left Tusker’s fullback stranded, Omondi’s movement lost his marker.

The second—six minutes from half-time—was evidence of KCB’s hunger to pounce on every Tusker misstep. When debutant Richard Omondi crashed a shot off the post, it was Boniface who reacted fastest, tapping home into an unguarded net as Ochuka scrambled helplessly.

A Missed Penalty, a Missed Opportunity

Tusker, the league’s perennial contenders, appeared shell-shocked and turgid. Yet they were handed a lifeline in the second half: a penalty chance for new signing and two-time Golden Boot winner Erick Kapaito. The narrative wrote itself—until Kapaito, uncharacteristically, skied his effort over the bar. The sigh from the Tusker bench was almost audible above the home support’s subdued murmur. That miss not only defined Tusker’s evening, but it may yet come to mark a wider turning point if their woes in front of goal linger.

Matano’s Imprint, KCB’s Aspiration

It is impossible to discuss this result without centering the man on the touchline. Robert Matano, the newly appointed KCB coach, promised “disciplined, sharp and fearless” football. On Friday, his players delivered—with a robust midfield, dynamic wing play, and a willingness to press high.

After the final whistle, a beaming Matano paid tribute to the execution of his game plan. “We wanted to make a strong statement in our first game, and the boys executed the plan well. Tusker is always a tough opponent, so this win gives us confidence as we build momentum for the season ahead,” he told reporters.

The ambitions are not vague: Matano has set sights on “the club’s maiden league title.” For years, KCB have played the role of party spoilers and top-four hopefuls. With three points—and two beautifully crafted goals—Matano’s men have offered up notice: merely being at the table is not enough.

For Tusker, Early Questions

For Charles Okere and his side, only hard questions await. The Brewers, as ever, hold a squad expected to challenge but looked off-tempo and short of rhythm—the remnants, perhaps, of a summer in which they lost key defenders and struggled for sharpness up front.

Okere, seeking solace, urged calm. “It’s a normal thing in football. You win some and lose some. The penalty was bad but Kapaito will come over it. He is an experienced player who will get us goals. The season is still fresh and we will bounce back,” he offered afterward.

But casual observers and diehards alike will note: the timing was not just bad luck. For a side that traditionally opens campaigns with confidence, Tusker’s attacking patterns were stale and their defensive organization frail. The lack of invention in midfield—always a core strength for Okere’s recent sides—was particularly glaring.

Bajaj: From Supporting Cast to Leading Man

That the night belonged to Omondi “Bajaj” is now record. For a player whose career has oscillated between flashes of promise and frustrating anonymity, this performance felt like the opening stanza of a season where he may finally define his team’s destiny, not just follow it.

Time and again, he tested Tusker’s back line—drifting wide to receive, surging infield with purpose, and ensuring every loose ball was contested. The brace lifts him to an early lead atop the Golden Boot charts and, more importantly, gives KCB faithful reason to believe that their campaign will not be a false dawn.

Beyond Three Points: Symbolism and Momentum

While matches on opening weekends rarely decide titles, they often set the emotional tempo. For KCB, the confidence boost extends beyond the numbers on the scoreboard. This was the club’s first ever opening-day victory over Tusker in league play—an especially symbolic breakthrough as it launches the new manager’s reign. For all the talk of “the Matano Effect,” this was concrete proof: KCB have moved past the threshold of potential and entered the realm of expectation.

Conversely, for Tusker, defeat is not disaster but neither is it routine. Their pedigree remains, but so too does the sense that the league is tilting away from their tight grasp. Failure to recalibrate quickly—especially with a tricky run of fixtures ahead—could see early season frustration harden into something more intractable.

What Comes Next

KCB will carry momentum into their next clash with Mathare United, hoping to reel off consecutive wins and solidify early leadership. For Matano, squad rotation and continued focus on discipline will be key themes at training. The primary challenge: avoiding the trap of early-season overconfidence.

For Okere, however, the path forward is less glamorous. Cowed by criticism and haunted by what-might-have-beens, the Tusker dressing room faces urgent introspection. Leadership must emerge—on the training ground, in the locker room, and most of all, in front of goal. The early miss by Kapaito will not define his season, but it did, on this night, set the narrative for a club contending with both external expectations and internal anxieties.

A Broader Shift?

If this opening fixture is any indication, the race for supremacy in the FKF Premier League might be more open than in recent memory. The torch—long clutched by Tusker and their ilk—is being pursued by hungry new flames. And no one burned brighter, or hotter, on opening night than Matano’s KCB and their match winner, Omondi.

For Tusker and their expectant followers, it’s time to confront an uncomfortable possibility: not just that KCB’s win was deserved—but that a changing of the guard may be at hand. This season, nothing will be handed to the old kings; they will have to fight for every inch, every goal, every point.