Gor need best shooting boots for CECAFA Cup semis

Gor Mahia sauntered into the semi finals of the 2015 CECAFA Kagame Cup without breaking too much sweat after beating Malakia of South Sudan 2-1.

The match was more remarkable for the high number of off-sides committed by Gor Mahia and the many scoring chances spurned by the Kenyan champions than anything else.

Perhaps due to the quality of opponent they were facing Gor Mahia appeared contented most of the time to play the game at unharried pace. They even had the generousity to gift Malakia a totally undeserved goal that gave some lustre to an otherwise largely colourless Malakia side. This tie had the markings of a 5-0 whitewash but for Gor's profligacy 

With so many games to play at short intervals, fatigue might be creeping in as the high standards exhibited by Gor at the start of their campaign, against Yanga and KMKM, were replaced in the match by an element of complacency that could have proved costly against a more quality side.

While it is understandable for Gor to have elected to slacken their playing pace against Malakia considering the club'spedigree and the task awaiting ahead, their wastefulness in front of their opponents’ goal is completely inexcusable, considering the extremely high level of efficiency displayed by their opponents for the forthcoming semi-final tie.

Although Gor and Al Khartoum played out a 1-1 draw during their group A match, the circumstances will be totally different in the semis, where a single mistake, like missing one scoring chance, might prove to be the difference between proceeding to the final and proceeding to the airport.

In the semi-finals, Gor must play with the same intensity and commitment as they did in the opening two matches if they  hope to eliminate Al Khartoum. The Kenyan club must have watched as the Sudnese representatives totally tore apart the highly rated APR from Rwanda to entertain any thought of another round of complacency.   

Khartoum National have made a big statement at the 2015 CECAFA Kagame Cup

When Kartoum National Club was paired against APR in the first quarter final of the 2015 CECAFA Kagame Cup being held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, all the money was on APR swiftly sending the newcomers of East African football back home.

Instead,Al Khartoum effectively ended the quarter final contest in the first half after they put three goals past the hapless Rwandese club without reply.

The team adopted a relaxed mode in the second half but still managed to add one more goal for a 4-0 whipping of an experienced APR side that looked totally lost. to put the tie in perspective, APR had won all three of their group matches, scoring five goals and conceding only one.

The Sudanese club only secured a spot at the 2015 CECAFA Kagame Cup after champions El Merreick requested to be excused from the tournament  so that they could concentrate on the CAF Champions League. The club from Khartoum has ended up becoming the highest scorers at this year's tournament so far.

After seeing off Djibouti's Telekom with a 5-0 hammering, Al Khartoum went on to dispatch Zanzibar's KMKM 2-1 before holding fancied Gor Mahia of Kenya 1-1 in a match they could easily have won. The club lost narrowly against Yanga, conceding 0-1 in their final group match. The club's four goals against APR have increased their tally to 12 scored against 3 conceded.

Not only is the club clinical in front of goal, they also play neat, passing and tactical football. Yet this is their first ever appearence at the East and Central African club championships. What might be the secret to the success being enjoyed by the club in Tanzania?

For one, Sudanese clubs are reputed to be some of the wealthiest on the African continent. So money is definitely a factor. But how you spend money when you have it is also crucial. And here the club seems to be doing really well.

The composition of the team has looked solid right from goal to attack, meaning they have recruited quite well. Amongst the squad's foreign players is Kenya's Anthony 'Teddy' Okumu, who has performed quite well in his midfield position so far.

To me, the most brilliant move by the Sudanese club has been hiring Ghanaian Kwesi Appiah, who, lest we forget, took Ghana to the 2014 World Cup and missed the second round by a whisker in a group of death that included World Cup Champions Germany, USA and Portugal.

This is one vastly experienced and skillful coach you do not want to be playing against, and Al Khartoum must be feeling extremely special with the coach in their ranks. When asked about the secret of defeating APR, coach Appiah said that he had asked his charges to utilise the chances they got and to stop APR from playing - and they did exactly that.

Clearly, the story of Khartoum's East African achievements is just starting being told and whoever meets the Sudanese team in the semi-finals had better watch out carefully.  

Where have quality African strikers gone?

Gor against Djibuouti Telekom and Yanga versus Al Khartoum brought the CECAFA Kagame Cup 2015 group stages to conclusion, with Gor (on 10 points) finishing top of group A ahead of Yanga (nine).

One common characteric of the two matches was the wastefulness of Gor's and Yanga's strikers in front of goal. Although Gor beat Telekom 3-1, the score would have been higher with greater efficiency in finishing.

The same was the case with Yanga, who could only manage a 1-0 scoreline against Al Khartoum after the club's forwards squandered many scoring chances.

These performances only served to emphasize one important fact: quality strikers are in deed very valuable persons in the beautiful game. In Africa, especially, they have become very rare species.

This same continent has given to the football world the likes of Zambia's Kalusha Bwalia, Cameroon's Roger Millar and Samuel Etoo, Nigeria's Rashidi Yekini, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha and Daniel Amokachi, Egypt's Hossam Hassan, Ghana's Abedi Pele and Tony Yeboah, Liberia's George Weah, Morocco's Mustapha Hadji, Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba, Zimbabwe's Peter Ndlovu, and many others.

The most valued African players in European leagues recently have been midfielders - Yaya Toure, Cheick Tiote, Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel...what happened to the African striker species?

2018 World Cup preliminary draw kind to Kenya

Harambee stars got what are clearly favourable pairings in the preliminary stages of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in a draw conducted by FIFA in Moscow on 25th July.

Kenya will face Mauritius away in the first leg of the first round qualifier on 5th October before the return leg in Nairobi on 13th October.

Should Kenya make it past the Indian Ocean islanders, Then Cape Verde awaits in the second round preliminary qualifiers to be played between 9th and 19th November.

Mauritius has never posed Kenya any footballing problems and the last time Kenya met Cape Verde in the 2004 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers, we won home and away. Cape Verde was then a baby and whipping boy of African football but, after putting together an incredible programme of football development, have emerged as a recognised force on the continent.

Cape Verde made a big statement in African football by not only qualifying for the African Cup of Nations for the first time in 2013 but putting together a fairy tale run in the finals as well. After playing brilliantly to reach the quarter finals of the tournament the Atlantic Ocean islanders were cruelly eliminated by Ghana.

The tiny nation out played Ghana for long periods before a dubious penalty and a late break away run by Mubarak Wakaso handed the West African heavy weights an undeserved victory to advance to the semi finals.

The Cape Verdians returned stronger, topping their 2015 Afcon qualifiers group that included Zambia, Mozambique and Niger. The team bowed out of the finals held in Equatorial Guinea at the group stages after 1-1, 0-0, 0-0 draws against Tunisia, Congo D.R. and Zambia respectively.

Clearly, therefore, while Kenya can hope for an easy outing against Mauritius, the Cape Verdian side we will face this time round  if we progress will be far much superior than the one we beat home and away in 2004.

Still, compared to what the draw threw in the way of other teams, Kenya should be glad. The winner of the Somalia/Niger tie, for instance, will come before the might of Cameroon's Indomitable Lions, and whoever wins between South Sudan and Mauritania will have to go past Tunisia to make the group stages. Algeria lies in wait for Tanzania or Malawi and Liberia or Guinea Bissau will come face to face with current African Champions Ivory Coast.

It is in the face of such pairings that I argue Kenya are lucky but this should not mean resting on our laurels and waiting to obliterate Mauritius while counting on history against Cape Verde. Surprises are becoming common place in African football and the painful elimination of Kenya by Lesotho in the preliminary rounds of the 2015 Afcon qualifiers are still fresh in every one's mind.

Full African zone preliminary rounds draw (Courtesy of BBC Sport)

Round one

Two-legged ties, played 5 October and 13 October.

Somalia v Niger, South Sudan v Mauritania, Gambia v Namibia, Sao Tome e Principe v Ethiopia, Chad v Sierra Leone, Comoros v Lesotho, Djibouti v Swaziland, Eritrea v Botswana, Seychelles v Burundi, Liberia v Guinea-Bissau, Central African Republic v Madagascar, Mauritius v Kenya, Tanzania v Malawi

Round two

Two-legged ties, played 9 November and 17 November.

Somalia/Niger v Cameroon, South Sudan/Mauritania v Tunisia, Gambia/Namibia v Guinea, Sao Tome e Principe/Ethiopia v Congo, Chad/Sierra Leone v Egypt, Comoros/Lesotho v Ghana, Djibouti/Swaziland v Nigeria, Eritrea/Botswana v Mali, Seychelles/Burundi v Congo DR, Liberia/Guinea-Bissau v Ivory Coast, Central African Republic/Madagascar v Senegal, Mauritius/Kenya v Cape Verde, Tanzania/Malawi v Algeria, Sudan v Zambia, Libya v Rwanda, Morocco v Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique v Gabon, Benin v Burkina Faso, Togo v Uganda, Angola v South Africa

The 20 winners from the second round will go into a third round comprising five groups of four. The winners of each group qualify for the World Cup.

Tusker continues scoring spree, Gor slowed down in Dar

Tusker continued their stupendous form in Machakos, where they hit hapless Thika United 4-0, taking their goal tally in the last three matches to 14 scored and one conceded.

Incredibly, striker Jesse Were scored his third consecutive hat-trick, meaning that the on-fire striker has contributed nine of Tusker's last 14 goals.

The lowly placing of the team during the first leg of the league is now a distant memory, with the Ruaraka based club now sitting snugly in third place.

Second placed Ulinzi must surely be looking over their shoulders now as the resurgent beer men plot to throw a spanner in the works of the battle for premier league honours.

This is clearly a new Tusker we are watching and their recent superlative performances will only serve to motivate them some more. The premiership championship might have gotten out of hand with Gor Mahia so far in front, but the club will surely have a big say regarding who finishes in the runners up position.

If striker Were is to be believed, the secret to the club's resurgence is simple - work hard and rest enough: "hard work and enough rest is working for us. I'm part of the future of Kenyan football and so is (Gor Mahia striker) Michael Olunga who is doing a great job in Tanzania...." the striker told Daily Nation after the match.

Meanwhile, in Dar es Salaam, Gor Mahia's bright start to the 2015 CECAFA Kagame Cup was blighted by a tricky Al Kartoum side that missed several chances to become the first team to end the Kenyan champions' unbeaten run.

The club appeared restless against the Sudanese side, with custodian Boniface Oluoch's goalkeeping blunder in the 10th minute leading directly to Al Khartoum's goal.

Although Gor Mahia rallied to equalise in the 43rd minute through veteran midfielder Eric Ochieng, the Tusker Premier League defending champions failed to put on a commanding display like they did against Tanzania's Yanga FC and KMKM of Zanzibar respectively.

Striker Michael Olunga, who has attracted a lot of attention both on and off the pitch, was uncharacteristically wasteful and was also the target of a series of fouls from Al Khartoum defenders keen to tame him.

This was also the first match that Gor were playing in the sweltering heat of Dar es Salaam's midday and the searing temperatures seemed to slow down most of Gor Mahia's players. When they finally improved play later in the second half of the match, it proved inadequate to force a third group win and the match ended in a 1-1 stalemate.

As the tournament rolls on, Gor Mahia will attract much more attention from opposing teams and coach Frank Nuttal must refresh his bag of tricks as each of the club's next matches is going to present its own unique challenges. But who said becoming champions is a walk in the park?

Gor and Olunga going places

Gor Mahia continued their unbeaten run by convincingly  beating KMKM of Zanzibar 3-1 in the ongoing CECAFA Kagame Club Championship in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The Kenyan champions' second win in a row in the tournament's group A means the club now has six points and is virtually assured of a place in the quarterfinals.

The club is really in good form, such that neither absence of players nor adjustments to team's first eleven appears to be affecting the team's rhythm of play. This was evidently clear throughout the KMKM match as all departments of the team functioned neatly to ensure that Gor's excellent performance continued to roll on.

I was particularly impressed by the club's forward line, with both Meddie Kagere and Michael Olunga turning in exceptional performances. Olunga especially continued to amaze me with his confidence and skill around the 18-yard box. I am convinced that his performances are no fluke and that he will soon be joining the list of Kenya's greatest strikers. 

The 21 year old university student is truly a gifted striker and he proved this with a quality headed goal against KMKM, beautiful turns inside the box, a powerful left foot, and skillful runs with the ball. In the same match, he also proved that he can provide quality assists, as his pass led to Gor's opening goal through Meddie Kagere. 

I was also amazed to see him throwing a ball from Gor's portion of the pitch, proving that he can also carry out defensive duties for his team when necessary. That is what you call a great all-round striker. I am sure his failed trials in South Africa will soon be forgotten as he lands an even bigger deal somewhere in Europe.

For now, the striker is part of a well oiled Gor Mahia juggernaut that is surely looking good to win a cup that has eluded them for three good decades.

  

What has led to Tusker FC's current devastating form?

After tearing Chemelil Sugar apart with a 5-1 thumping, Tusker were at their scoring best again, inflicting one of the worst defeats on league contenders Sofapaka with a 5-0 thrashing.

Not only did Tusker continue their impressive scoring record in the second leg of the Tusker Premier League, the club's leading striker Jesse Were helped himself to the second consecutive hat trick to bring his total tally in the league to 16.

Tusker struggled during the first leg of the league, with the club's results including a 2-2 draw against Muhoroni Youth, a 1-0 defeat to Bandari, a 1-1 stalemate against Mathare United, a 1-0 beating from KCB, a 1-2 loss to Sofapaka, and of course, the 1-0 defeat they suffered against league leaders Gor Mahia in their final match of the first leg.

However, during the same period, the club registered impressive wins (3-1 away to western Stima, 3-0 away to Nakuru All Stars, and 2-0 against Sony Sugar) to indicate they had great attacking potential.

This has come out clearly in the second leg, with the other results during the period being a 3-0 win against Nakuru All Stars and a hard fought 1-1 draw against a rejunenated Ulinzi Stars. The club's goal tally is now only bettered by that of Gor Mahia.

The rebuilding done by Coach Francis Kimanzi appears to be finally bearing fruit and if the club continues in the same path, do not bet against them challenging strongly for the title next season.

Coach Kimanzi strongly believes in coach-player loyalty, a fact well proven during his stints as Harambee Stars and Mathare United Coach. A careful look at players currently playing for him will reveal a collection of faces that featured for him at Mathare United and Sofapaka.

The players include goalkeeper Duncan Ochieng, defenders James Situma, Lloyd Wahome, Eugine Asike and Aboud Omar, midfielders Humphrey Mieno and Osborne Monday, as well as striker Kevin Kimani. Current league top scorer Jesse Were also previously played for Mathare United.

Kimanzi's strong belief in defending players' rights previously got him into serious trouble with Kenyan football administrators, contributing to his sacking during his first  stint as Harambee Stars coach. Kimanzi is a very good coach tactically but I believe that this strong player-coach bond is also contributing to the current good form of Tusker FC.

Gor start CECAFA Club Cup campaign in style

Gor Mahia extended their unbeaten run into the Kagame CECAFA Club Cup championship, beating Tanzania’s powerhouse club Yanga FC 2-1 in convincing fashion at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Indeed, the margin could have been bigger with better finishing and some luck. Striker Michael Olunga was lively as ever and apart from the one goal he scored, hit the woodwork and was denied a genuine penalty shout. Meddy Kagere's performance in the match was a bit subdued but he missed a clear chance as well, as did Khalid Aucho, whose well weighted  shot glanced the upright on its way out.

Gor’s performance in midfield was excellent too, despite the absence of club captain Collins “Gatusso” Okoth through injury and Ali Abondo. The team seemed technically superior and fitter than their opponents for large parts of play, before allowing Yanga to dominate play in the final parts of the game.

Gor’s superiority was underlined by the fact that home team Yanga resorted to numerous fouls to break their Kenyan opponents’ play, paying dearly with the dismissal of Zambia winger Donald Ngoma in the 23rd minute after retaliation against Haron Shakava.

Yanga’s home team status was largely nullified by the huge presence of Simba SC fans, who joined a sizable contingent of Gor Mahia fans, who included opposition leader Raila Odinga, in chanting ‘Gor Biro’ throughout the match. The two clubs’ sets of fans have a passionate disliking for each other and readily join supporters of any team playing against either of the clubs.

With the assured display against the Tanzania league champions, Gor have proved that their current dominance of Kenyan football is no accident and that they will be a force to reckon with at this year's CECAFA Club Cup championships. They might yet win that elusive sixth CECAFA Club Cup after all. 

European football giants coming to Nairobi?

Arsenal's Theo Walcott in Singapore

Arsenal's Mezut Ozil in Singapore 

In what reads like an April fools story, Kenya’s media is reporting of the government's plan to aim for a bite of the cherry that is European clubs pre-season tours.

According to a story in the Daily Nation of July 16, “the government is targeting English Premier League sides to compete at the inaugural Magic Cup tournament in Nairobi next year”. Can you believe it?

If this is true, then prepare to see the stars of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona and the likes, right here in Nairobi, live! We are talking about watching Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo, Rooney, Aguero, Sanchez, Diego Costa...in action at Kasarani!

This revelation is attributed to Sports Kenya PRO (whatever that is) Rakki Asman, who spoke of plans to partner with “a local consortium” to source for the funds needed to bring the European football giants to Safaricom Stadium, Kasarani in June 2016.

This is all designed, according to the story, to give local fans an opportunity to watch their super heroes live right here in Nairobi, and also to market Kenya.

The Daily Nation story adds that already, Icon Sports Marketing and FIFA Match Agency Sports Global Management (SGM) have been selected to help the government realise this dream.

I will say no more but sit, and wait for June 2016.

President Kenyatta’s gesture of supporting Gor deserves praise

Thank you Mr President for intervening to ensure that Gor Mahia represented our country at this year’s edition of CECAFA Kagame Cup in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

As usual, the Kenya Football Federation could not honour its obligations. Having met CECAFA and committed to pay for the team’s tickets to and from Tanzania, the federation went back on its word and it increasingly appeared that the Kenyan premier league defending champions would join the regional club football party in Tanzania.

It is unfortunate that even a hastily organised fundraiser could not raise enough cash to send the team to Dar es Salaam, with only Ksh 2.1 million being raised.

The President’s gesture should be copied by all sports lovers in the country if we hope to continue growing as a sporting nation. Better still, all measures should be put in place to ensure that sports become more than a source of leisure. If everyone plays their parts well, we should be able to convince those with resources that sports can make serious business sense.

Just look at how the English Premier League has been made so attractive to both fans and businesses worldwide. Why does it remain so difficult to transform ours? Why, for instance, is Gor Mahia, with such a passionate and large fan base - and equally doing so well on the pitch, unable to attract any kind of sponsorship? 

Tough task ahead for Gor Mahia in Dar es Salaam

How will Kenya’s premier league defending champions Gor Mahia fare when they take on Tanzania’s Yanga FC in their first match of this year’s CECAFA Kagame Cup championship on Saturday 18?

Last year, the club’s return to a tournament they last won in 1985 was quite a disastrous one, failing to win a single match as they bowed out in the group stages.

This year though appears more promising, with the club fondly called Kogalo by its diehard supporters having strengthened in all departments. The acquisition of Meddie Kagere has bolstered a forward line that also boasts of the sharp shooting Michael Olunga, while the pair of Karim Nizigiyamana and Abouba Sibomana have made the team’s defence impenetrable to opposing attackers.

Meanwhile, Uganda’s Godfrey Walusimbi appears to be getting better on the left wing and the duo of  Collins “Gattuso” Okoth and Khalid Aucho (acquired from Tusker FC in the off-season, have made Gor’s midfield performances much more assured.

All this progress, however, will be severely tested on Saturday by the might of Tanzania’s Yanga FC. Not only is the Tanzanian club ranked in the same league of accomplishment as Gor Mahia, the team enjoys as fanatical a following in Tanzania as Gor does in Kenya.

Add to that the fact that Tanzania’s fans are more “real stadium” football supporters than their Kenyan counterparts and you begin to worry for a Gor team entering a capacity filled 60,000-seater stadium on Saturday afternoon to face an accomplished opponent on home soil.

Perhaps it is with this in mind that Gor’s Coach Frank Nuttal has adopted a cautious and modest approach heading to the tournament, telling local media that he was not thinking too much about the team’s performance beyond the group stages.

“We just want to try to give our best and the priority is to go past the group stages, so it means we have to do well in the early matches,” the coach told Daily Nation Sport a few days ago.

Whatever the coach’s expectations, the team had better perform better than they did last year in Rwanda. First of all, a poor performance in Dar es Salaam will most certainly affect the team’s current momentum, which has seen them sweep every one coming their way in local football - like a tsunami, to borrow a favourite metaphor of the club’s patron, Hon. Raila Odinga.    

Secondly, the team should do well in Tanzania to end the prevailing impression that Kenya’s football league is weaker than regional and continental ones, which is supported by the constant whipping that local football clubs receive whenever they venture beyond Kenyan borders.

Lest we forget, Tusker FC was the last Kenyan club to win the CECAFA Kagame Cup way back in 2008 under coach Jacob “Ghost” Mulee when they beat Uganda’s Uganda Revenue Authority FC in Dar es Salaam.

Harambee Stars need to improve before Zambia come calling

Kenya's national football team Harambee Stars has left a lot of 'ifs' in the minds of long suffering fans following the team's recent performances.

First, a commendable performance against Congo in the African Cup of Nations 2017 qualifiers was nullified by poor defending and wasteful finishing. If Harambee Stars' defender Jackson Saleh had not needlessly conceded a penalty and had Kenya's strikers been more clinical, the team would have returned from Congo with all three points.

It was a strange case of de javu that during Kenya's next match, an away Champions of African Nations 2016 qualifier against Ethiopia, defender Saleh conceded a second consecutive penalty in a game Kenya lost 2-0. However, the talking point of the game is that if forward Kevin Kimani had not fluffed Kenya's own penalty opportunity, the national team would have returned from Ethiopia with the advantage of an away goal.

Instead, the team faced a defensive-minded Ethiopia in the return match at home with the disadvantage of needing to score three clear goals to progress further in the tournament reserved for home based players. When the gods of good fortune presented Kenya with a sniff of opportunity towards this end, Gor Mahia's Ali Hassan Abondo repeated Kevin Kimani's act by wasting Kenya's penalty chance.

Had these two penalty opportunities been converted, Kenya would have knocked out Ethiopia due to the away-goal rule. But it was not to be and the team has gone back to the drawing board to scheme how to beat Zambia, Kenya's next Afcon opponents.

Zambia is a far more superior team but the fact that the match will be happening in Nairobi should feed every one concerned with a dose of optimism that Kenya can secure the first win in the tournament and put smiles on the faces of fans who have been hurt far too many times.

Needless to say, coach Bobby Williamson must plug the team's defensive and attacking weaknesses before the September match day for that to happen. Let us hope it shall not be another case of 'ifs' and regrets.

Gor Mahia must have plan B

The colourful green army of Gor Mahia was in full display at Nyayo Stadium as Kogalo sought to claim another scalp in their seemingly unstoppable march towards the Tusker Premier League 2015 title.

Their opponents this time were Mathare United who, though placed tenth in the premier league log, appeared not to have read the script and confidently gave back every thing Gor threw at them. It therefore came as no surprise when the slum boys became the first team to score against Gor since the defending champions last conceded a goal way back in April 2015.

Although Gor were the fastest off the blocks, launching several lightening attacks against their opponents, Mathare United eventually settled down and efficiently executed their game plan of closing out striker Michael Olunga and rendering Gor’s wing play ineffective. With all the dominance of Gor in terms of ball possession, Mathare’s keeper Peter Odhiambo remained largely untested in the first half.

Even as they stayed back to absorb Gor’s pressure, Mathare launched occasional counter attacks mainly through stylish forward Eric Johana, who proved he was a growing force in Kenyan football with confident, creative displays against Gor’s defenders. In the 28th minute, he timed his run perfectly to reach a through ball which he confidently slotted past an on-rushing Boniface Oluoch.

Even a much more determined performance at the start of the second half could not breach a well organised Mathare United defence, until Enock Agwanda was brought on by Coach Frank Nuttal. Although the former Sofapaka man is well known for his powerful and energetic runs against opposing defenders, it was his throwing skills that Gor fans seem to have fallen in love with.

Every time the ball went out, the fans screamed wildly for Agwanda to take the throw in. The striker obliged and took two quick throw-ins in succession, the first one destabilising Mathare’s defence, and the second one resulting in Gor’s equaliser via striker Meddie Kagere’s header.

Is this Gor’s plan B? Being the defending champions and as the only unbeaten team in the league, Gor must surely know that every team is now baying for their blood, seeking to become the first team to bring the “Mighty  Kogalo” back down to earth. Every coach in the league must be doing extra home work to discover how they can capitalise on any weakness to tame them.

From Mathare’s display, it appears that this may not be that far off. The champions’ prolific striker Olunga remained largely anonymous, with his two clear chances of the game coming late in the match when Mathare had apparently relaxed their game plan.

Gor Mahia must have another strategy, a plan B, other than solely depending on launching passes to Olunga to knock in or relying on crosses coming in from the team’s wingers. But that plan B should not, surely, be Agwanga’s long throw-ins into opponents' goal area.

The team’s true strengths will soon be tested as they head to Tanzania for the CECAFA Club championships starting in Dar es Salaam in the next one week.