Sofapaka secured a season double over Ulinzi Stars, winning 1-0 in a Friday FKF Premier League match at Ulinzi Sports Complex, leaving the Military side fans to cry in their own stadium.
Having previously defeated Ulinzi 4-1 in their first meeting in December, Sofapaka capitalized on a moment of indecision from their opponents to bounce back from a surprising loss to Talanta the previous week, further compounding Ulinzi’s struggles.
The only goal of the match came in the 40th minute when Sofapaka striker Bramwel Simiyu seized a long throw-in from Baron Ochieng. Simiyu outmuscled last man Bildad Abonga and managed to poke the ball past goalkeeper Issa Emuria, a lead that Sofapaka maintained until the final whistle.
After the match, Chemiati, an ardent Ulinzi Stars fan known as The Boss Lady, was seen in tears in the stands as she couldn’t conceal herself. Frustrated by the team’s performance, she expressed her dissatisfaction loudly, urging the club to recognize the pain their loss caused their devoted supporters.
“We are tired of this; do what you want,” she exclaimed. “Some of us are diehards, but you’re disappointing us. How do you think we feel? You sit on the bench and watch the poor football we play. We are exhausted; if you want, you can ban us from coming to this stadium. Your only action is threatening players about being kicked out; I’m heartbroken.”
Chemiati also highlighted the poor treatment of civilian players, suggesting that fans could fundraise for them if that was the reason for the team’s underperformance.
With this win, Sofapaka rises to seventh place on the league table, while Ulinzi Stars finds themselves in a precarious position, just four points above the relegation zone.
