Soy United coach Jeffers Odongo hails team's return to National Super League

Soy United head coach Jeffers Odongo in a past training session. (Photo: Soy United/ Facebook)

By Erick Kariuki
Thursday, October 9, 2025

Soy United sealed their long-awaited promotion Wednesday, ending a four-year wait with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Bumbani. Alfred Ratolo scored the decisive goal, assisted by Peter “Olunga” Okello, securing their return to the second tier.

Delayed, not denied, was the fitting phrase for Soy United, who had initially secured automatic promotion to the National Super League (NSL) before being sent back to Division One following a Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) ruling.

The tribunal ordered a replay of an abandoned match between Gucha Stars and Nakuru Bucks, ruling in favour of Gucha. That decision forced Soy United to contest a playoff against Bumbani FC at Dandora Stadium.

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Despite the setback, Soy United sealed their long-awaited promotion on Wednesday, ending a four-year wait with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Bumbani. Alfred Ratolo scored the decisive goal, assisted by Peter “Olunga” Okello, securing their return to the second tier.

Speaking after the match, head coach Jeffers Odongo reflected on the journey and shared his plans for the NSL campaign, a competition that stretches from Homa Bay to Mombasa and Kwale.

“As I said earlier, going into the match, I knew it was going to be tough,” Odongo remarked. “Both teams were well prepared and eager for a spot in the National Super League; it felt like a final.”

Odongo praised his team’s performance, noting that his tactical plan worked well despite several substitutions. He acknowledged Soy would need to regroup quickly, having already missed two matches in the NSL season.

“We’ll have to take the right measures because, although it’s not our fault, two games have already been played, and we are prepared,” he added.

With the NSL’s wide geographical reach, questions have arisen about whether Soy United have the squad depth and resources to compete at that level. Odongo remains confident.

“We knew all this while preparing for the NSL. Remember, we were already there before being instructed to play the playoffs, so we are ready. My vision is to take this team into the Kenya Premier League, now the SportPesa League, and we are ready to do that.”

Team captain Kevin Odira echoed his coach’s sentiments, commending the squad’s resilience and focus despite the SDT ruling disruption.

“When we received the message about the playoffs, we didn’t panic, and that didn’t derail our momentum. We accepted it and stayed focused, and here we are,” said Odira. “All I can say is that we are ready for the National Super League, and we’ll do our best to impress.”

Soy United’s return to the NSL marks not only the end of a long and testing journey but also the start of a new chapter driven by determination, belief, and the hunger to rise even higher.