Once the embodiment of resilience, Nairobi City Stars affectionately known as Simba wa Nairobi have seen their roar silenced after being relegated from the FKF Premier League. On the final day of the 2024–25 season, a goalless draw against Mathare United at Thika Stadium consigned the club to the second tier, ending a difficult campaign with heartbreak rather than heroics.
It wasn’t meant to end like this. The team from Kawangware needed just one thing to survive victory. Yet for all their effort, Nairobi City Stars could not muster a goal. The match, filled with half-chances, scuffed finishes, and frustrated groans from the stands, became a 90-minute metaphor for their season: spirited but ultimately unconvincing.
The pain cuts deep not only for the players and coaches, but for the community. For the fans who braved the afternoon chill, the club’s relegation is a gut punch. This was more than a football match it was a battle for pride, for identity, for legacy.
Since their founding in 2003 as World Hope FC, the club has experienced a rollercoaster journey promotion triumphs, cup glories, and a rebirth under Bosnian coach Sanjin Alagić, whose leadership saw them rise from the National Super League in 2020. But after his departure, the spark dimmed. Salim Babu brought tactical discipline, yet goals — and wins dried up.
Relegation rarely feels fair, and in City Stars’ case, it was not about collapse or controversy. It was death by a thousand draws, a slow bleed of belief and momentum. In their final match, even their opponents, Mathare United themselves recently promoted seemed sympathetic. But sympathy doesn’t save you from the drop.
The club’s community ownership, backed by the Jonathan Jackson Foundation, has always been its moral backbone. That connection may now become their lifeline. Fans, former players, and grassroots supporters are rallying not just around a fallen team, but around a wounded institution they still believe in.
The sting of relegation will take time to heal. But as City Stars lick their wounds, they must also begin the long road back. The talent, structure, and support base remain. What’s needed now is clarity, ambition, and above all, belief.
As the curtain falls on this chapter, one truth stands tall: Simba wa Nairobi may be down, but they are not done. The roar may be silenced for now but in Kawangware, the echo still lingers, waiting for its return.
