Ulinzi Stars 0-0 Mathare United: Francis Kimanzi's men move top

Former champions Ulinzi Stars and Mathare United on Saturday battled to a barren draw in a Kenyan Premier League match at the Afraha Stadium in Nakuru.

The result saw Mathare, whose only title came in 2008, move to the summit of the league on seven points despite dropping points for the first time this season.

The Slum Boys thought they had taken the lead in the seventh minute after Cliff Nyakeya headed in from a Daniel Mwaura cross, but assistant referee Gladys Cherono had her flag up, forcing referee Badr Yasin to call for a goal kick. Nyakeya beat Ulinzi goalkeeper Timothy Odhiambo with a thumping header but Mwaura's ball had drifted out of play as he picked him with a pinpoint cross in the Ulinzi box.

Mwaura, a constant threat to Dunstan Nyaudo's charges all afternoon, combined well with Clifford Alwanga midway through the half, but the former Tusker man couldn't go past the Ulinzi defence. Moments before that, the Mathare bench held their heads in disbelief after Mwaura had beaten Ruto on the right but his shot drifted across the face of goal and out of play with Odhiambo well beaten.

Ulinzi, gunning for their first league title since 2010, came close through Bernard Ongoma and Oliver Rutto but both failed to test the shaky Robert Mboya in Mathare's goal.

Nyaudo introduced Elvis Nandwa for the ineffective Justus Onwonga while Kimanzi withdrew Alwanga for Chris Ochieng later on but none of the two sides could break the deadlock.