Gor Mahia edge Kariobangi Sharks 2-1
Gor Mahia continued with their good start to the 2018 Kenya Premier League when they beat Kariobangi Sharks 2-1 on Sunday.
Additional reporting from futaa.com
Reigning KPL champions Gor Mahia have skipped into the second place with a game in hand after their 2-1 win against Kariobangi Sharks in a thrilling match played on Sunday 25th February at the Kenyatta Stadium Machakos.
The match started on a high with Gor Mahia taking charge of the steering wheel from the onset but Samuel Onyango’s well timed cross to Meddie Kagere flew over the woodwork in the fifth minute.
It was not long before the former Ulinzi Stars hitman took the responsibility and slotted home in the 10th minute after collecting an Ondieki cross from the midfield, dribbling through defence and unleashing a cracker that Oyemba couldn’t handle.
Sharks attempted a quick comeback on the opposite end but a pinpoint cross from Patilla Omoto cross found Eric Kapaito offside and was subsequently flagged down as he angled himself for a shot.
Sharks managed to stabilize the game despite trailing and maintained attacks Patilla showing a strong attacking spirit. He was brought down at the edge of the area by Walusimbi and Bolton Omwenga did not miss the mark from the freekick; the ball slipping between Boniface Oluoch’s feet for the equalizer.
Gor Mahia should have stretched the lead in the 26th minute after Guakan collected a pass inside the area but his left footer was not powerful enough to beat Sharks keeper. Samuel Onyango was at it five minutes later with a cracker from the right but Oyiemba produced a brilliant reflex to punch the ball aways.
Shiveka was having a tough time in degence handling Onyango whose speed and crosses proved dangerous all the time. Kegere would then race through the wing from a Shakava cross to float in a cross which Guikan crashed against the post from a well executed header.
Sharks attempted to come back but their floated balls lacked an answer upfront with the team having retreated to defence. They however bounced back towards the end of the first half; Ebrimah Saneh floating in a cross which Duke Abuya tapped inches wide to the far corner.
Patillah Omoto came closest in the 45th minute crashing his long range thunderbolt against the woodwork after Wellington Ochieng’ had lost the ball in the midfield.
Sharks started the second half on a more stable note but slowed the game at first with coach Muluya bring on board experienced Mazembe who had been relegated to the bench for Fidel Origa.
Gor Mahia did not however take it lying down and responded through Guikan who floated in a cross that Oyemba punched away despite being off his line. K’ogallo then did a double substitution bringing in speedy Kahata and former Sharks player Kevin Omondi to stabilize the midfield further.
Sharks also did a double bringing in Lokale and Manoa for Sanneh who had faded and Abuya. Gor Mahia however showed experience when Meddie Kagere beat the defence on the right dribbling perfectly to set up Guikan who finally easily tapped in for the goal he had so much looked for.
Bolton Omwenga was commendable on the freekicks this time coming close for Sharks in the 80th minute but Kapaito headed straight to Oluoch though he almost let the ball off his hands.
Substitute Mazembe shoud have done better on the left for Sharks after twisting and turning but he released a weak shot. Lokale then missed narrowly with Oluoch’s experience coming to play to beat the striker to the ball from a Kapaito cross on the left.
Harun Shakava’s final minute efforts went begging from a freekick at the edge of the box but Gor Mahia enjoyed the bragging rights moving to second on the standings.
Kariobangi Sharks Starting XI: John Oyemba, Michael Bodo, Geoffrey Shiveka (c), Pascal Ogweno, Fidel Origa [James Mazembe], Sven Yidah, Patilla Omoto, Duke Abuya [Francis Manoa], Bolton Omwenga, Erick Kapaito, Ebrimma Sanneh [Sydney Lokale]
Unused Subs: Gad Mathews, Wycliffe Otieno, Paul Kamau,, Shaphan Oyugi,
Gor Mahia Starting XI: Boniface oluoch, Godfrey Walusimbi, Wellingtone Ochieng, Harun Shakava, Joash Onyango, Philemon Otieno, Boniface Omondi [Kevin Omondi], Bernard Ondiek [Ernest Wendo], Meddie Kagere, Ephraim Guikan, Samwel Onyango [Francis Kahata].
Unused Subs: Shaban Odhoji, Charles Momanyi, Humphrey Mieno,, Eliud Lokuwam
Congrats team for the victory
That is what we brought Ephraim Guikan here to do.Coach can never go wrong listening to Jasego.More is to come from that guy,just utilise him more and more and see his goals lift Kogalo higher and higher.Congrats team and we march on undeterred as a Collossus in Kenyan footballing scene
This Boniface Oluoch has outlived his usefulness and reached the expiry date. That goal was conceded solely coz of his sluggishness and overconfidence.The earlier Peter comes back the better otherwise Gor is in for more embarrassment with bonny in goal.Awacho ayueyo thooo.
Let that guy go home and rest. While he was bragging between the sticks, Luo mothers gave birth to superior goalkeepers. Coach should show him that soon enough. What does he think he is? Undisposable?
True that Bonnie mad a blunder but that dos not mean he should go. Let’s watch the howlers goalies make all over the world but still recover to assist their teams. Let’s not make comments driven by emotios
Nyamore todhi….
Congratulations kogallo Keep up the good fight.
Typical bonny blunder,had we drawn we’d have crucified him at the altar for that howler…But as we won issorait tunasema mbele kaka seche dhii…Peter goalie needs also game time as he is very stable…Musymo Ondieki is good but industry & work rate must improve,first half the gap in his position had us outmuscled completely in the midfield
Oluoch is giving us plenty of reason to doubt his commitment between the sticks.Kagere did his best to save us the blushes at Machakos. Wellington gave his best and dispossesed opponents of the ball in several occassions. Thanks for the spirited fight that the boys put to earn an away win in front of the soprano guy.
I heard that if we fall to Esperance then we will compete in CAF confederation cup. How?
Bonny should thank God that they won the game. He would have been under a lot of fire had they drawn
In case we fall to Esperance then we go for a play off with a team in the Confed Cup and if we will the playoff then we will be in the group stages
@Dan Original, Does this always happen or is it a new thing?
It started I think in the last two years
In case we lose to Esperance we might face the winner between Simba TZ and Al Masry of Egypt to get into the group stages of Confed Cup. In other words we still have 4 continental matches to play
Wacheni Bonnie, these things happen in football, Duncan Ochieng is still in goal at 40something? You should be more worried about unclear pattern we are playing
Fake ! disjointed long ball english type football is becoming the order of the day under Kerr.
Did i mention we lost 2-0 to vegetables last week, a team that did not even have a single attempt on goal in Nairobi. Today in machakos, the midfield was pathetic and the defence with the usual long balls into the 3rd half of the field, still leaves alot to be desire and someone tells that we are facing full throttle tactically grilled esperance next week.
You must be joking Mr Kerr and please be told that some players in the squad are not 90 minutes players, they are better off coming from the bench
Congrats team
Bonny Is okey those common error Any being Can commit stop this kind of Vilification On our veteran Goalkeeper. Bonny wa part of 2015 victory less we forget fast
I have to admit it:- we were lucky to get the 3 points. We can lay the reasons for our underperformance to a tight schedule. Gor has hadly rested in the last ten days. The mark of a good team is the one that can grind out points while not playing well. Joash Onyango still remains the weakest link of the team. It is a high time we got in someone better. He does not inspire a lot of confidence both in possession and tackling. He must avoid those lazy looking back passes as they might one day prove calamitous especially with Oluoch in goal. Wellington has softened the loss of Nsigiyimana as he has proved a capable deputy. The coach in my opinion erred in letting Guikan to last the whole game. He became a liability towards the end as he could hardly run, tackle track back or defend. We almost conceded an equalizer when Kariobangi Sharks decided to over load our right channel where Wellington was playing with little or no protection infont of him. The designated outside right midfielder- Samuel Onyango did very little to protect him as he enjoyed a lot of forward movement. As the legs grew tired, even seasoned heads like Walusimbi began to commit defensive errors like holding on to the ball for too long instead of just clearing it. B. Ondiek is a good CM but Gor has to adapt to his style sooner and they will reap the benefits. He sees passes and spaces where non exist. Our players need to run the channels and he will pick them out with his passes. Philemon is a tidy player but not as compact as Wendo. He must learn to keep it simple (win the ball back, touch and go) let the ball do the running. Boniface had a day to forget as he did not have a go at the opponent’s defence. No take-ons and sweeping moves and crosses from the wings. Right to be substituted. Samuel scored a beautiful goal but was let down on many occasions by poor decisions. He overexposed Wellington by failing to track back and the opponent almost benefited from this when our defenders were outnumbered on the right side towards the end of first half. Guikan is a player with superb movement and we will do well by playing to his strength. He doesn’t look 100% fit as at now but his vision and eye for goal is up there with the best in our league if not better. The less spoken of Meddy the better, especially today. Nothing worked for him today but the coache’s faith in him eventually made the difference. He chased a long ball and just managed to glid a measured cross that Guikan turned in for the winning goal. Meddy is a brilliant player but still frustrates a lot if we are chasing game. Where the margins are too close/thin, Meddy might just no be the man to turn to as he still needs 4-5 chances to convert one. With Esperance in the horizon, I shudder to think of these two Departments at Gor Mahia. 1: The defense* Joash Onyango is going to prove to b our weakest link in the defense. 2: The striking force* is not clinical enough to finish off the chances created. This is why we may struggle to beat Esperance.
Le Pastre,good analysis though allow me a brief rejoinder.Guikan is not 100% match fit due to lay off & lack of games.Still he scores in any game he plays,the mark of a good striker.On him traching back to defend or tackle opponents that’s not he’s style.Think of him alongside Sergio Aguerro,Suarez,Edison Cavanni et al,in that he doesnt play well looking for the ball but attacks spaces in the 18 yard very well such that if you feed him he’ll score.More games will get him fully fit not being benched.Ondiek is gud but not as a number 8,he overworked Philemon snc he wasn’t doing wat i call mopping up…Box to box play…Defend when we off the ball but quickly transition and aid attack when we win possession.He was quite good only going forward,a fact sharks used to outmuscle our one man defensive mid completely.Kagere is good just needs to break his duck…Jinx spell which every top rate striker goes through once in a while but as it persists maybe guikan-tuyisenge partnership can be explored though Kagere is a big mentality player and you need such when going against the likes of Esperance.Coach needs a formation and system that keeps the ball more,the long defensive clearances piss me off to death as they are not of GM caliber at this day & age
Woud Kanyada, omera Kagere divides opinion on equal measures. Why score three goals in one match and then proceed to miss a plethora of chances in the next three?? We must give to the coach for persisting with Kagere as the focal man in our team. We applaud his hard work but we will not hesistate to point at his weaknesses- he is not clinical enough to lead an attack of a champions league team. I am still waiting for a rejoinder on Joash Onyango who has never convinced me either as a number 4 or 5. He is so similar to Shakava and this is a big worry. We need a calmer no 5 who will sweep things up as both he and Shakava are actually stoppers. Those who disagree should keep this piece for review at the end of the season.
Joash is too erratic for a team of Gor’s calibre. Why did we sign such a top class defender in Momanyi the bench him for the error prone Joash? The guy gave away like four fouls in dangerous areas and gave passes to opponents on the edge of our D not once but twice!!!! Where i disagree with you Sir is on Philemon vs Bernard. Bernard is an intelligent creative player but is not defensive minded. He would thrive in a formation with two defensive midfielders behind him say, Wendo and Philemon. Yesterday, he overburdened Philemon who together with Ohanglaman and Guikan were the only players i can give a more than 5/10 rating. Bonny is becoming complacent but if he is to lose the gloves please give it to Peter and not Odhonji. That is a decision we would all come to rue. Mark my words. Finally the game we played yesterday is one I want to forget quickly!!!
Joash is akin to an ambulance rushing through heavy traffic with sirens blazing,he can do anything anytime,his admirers ofcourse will say Onyango MOKO as in he stands tough against opponents but at which cost?Peter young prodigy goalie is the best of all 3 we have no matter the experience Bonny has under his belt.Kagere can stand up to be counted in any scenario like say we get a penalty against Esperance at a crucial hour id vouch for none other than Meddy to take it,i know he loses many chances hence should deployed behind the main striker like Guikan.I miss Karim and options he gave on the right flank though Wellington is superb,Karim just electrified that wing with pace and agility.Blackberry should reclaim the left wing snc on his best he adds us punch as another third striker lurking behind the forward two and almost will score or create a clear goal.Coach shouldn’t forget him just for a dip in form.Finally formation & tactics urgently required as Otada and Mpira mbele philosophy wont cut it in Caf
If the comments am reading here from seasoned bloggers is the true reflection of the Gor MAHIA current status with regards to playing style, form and technical prowess ; then one JBO might have just hinted the truth about the CAF qualifier against ESPERANCE DE TUNIS. It will require a MIRACLE to go past them and qualify for the group stages. I hope it will disastrous for KERR the BW was embraced.
My worries have been confirmed , i can now relax knowing that actually Gor MAHIA is still a local material for KPL and other local competitions but not a continental giant as much as we try hype.
Point of correction from my post above: I meant I hope it will not be disastrous for KERR the way BW was embarrassed only to claim they succumbed to the financial muscle of the Tunisians.
At This Rate Gor Mahia Should Do Without Fans. Such Negative Energy!
Jakom do you want bloggers to say the team played well even if they played badly? Ever heard of something called positive criticism?
Makosa ishafanyika, wachaneni na bonnie wajuaji nyinyi ata courtois, degea na kadhalika hufanya mablanda, matusi pelejeni kwa bibi zenu Puga
People want absolute dominance here.The opposing team it seams should give no shot
There is one guy who is a good critic of the Kenyan game;Ghost Mulee.If he says expect more goals it does happen.Yesterday he had positive reviews for Gor.Esperance tunafunga Mayakos
yeee..yeee…yeee…i like the optimism.
we have a great team am just thinking of those who didn’t play.Ernest Wanyama Wendo has grown;Ondiek is a marvel(Esperance will want to buy him),Samuel Onyango doesn’t give a hoot whether you are North African or even from the moon he will score. Guikan will explode on March 6th I haven’t touched berry yet;Wellington is a go getter,B Omondi can also be our Kante.Defence I prayed for Atudo but we will do well there.
It seems Gor Mahia have a tough draw be it the CL or confederation playoffs i.e Esperance or Masry of Egypt as per @Dan.Original avers. Compare us with Yanga who face a team from Botswana or KCCA UG facing off with Ethiopia’s St.Georges. Therefore its understandable for fans to insist that there is no room for errors, which will consign us to another “long season of boring local soccer” with its accompanying apathy. GMFC has outgrown that. Meanwhile, RIP Legend Ben “Breakdance” Oloo. Thank-you and fare the well.
Guys are on joash’s case, but truth be told as of now “sasa” he is better than momanyi( maybe with time momanyi will out do him), anyone who watched the friendly against Nkana will agree Charlo/oluoch still has a long way.More friendlies might help them.Bt incase they replace joash now mtajua hamjui.Kudos to kapi he rarely played long balls Jana, aliwachia walusimbi.Unfortunately I saw coach encouraging players to play long balls bypassing midfield towards the end of the game( unless I seriously misread the signs).Seems like we have to accept its Kerr’s way of play.What happened in TZ ,against Everton???, was it a DREAM, a mistake or what??.we have never repeated that kind of soccer since then.Ama ilikuwa mabakishio ya wuod Maria.I wonder.
What’s really cooking? We face brewkenge on Wed,28/2, then bandari on Sat,3/3 before facing the big Esperance gameon Wed,7/3. Surely we’ll be fatigued, what’s the rush for? Is our EC ok with this schedule?
Unless it’s a preconceived idea to undermine our preparations for the CAF Champions League, KPL should have postponed all our local league matches until after we have played Esperance both home and away. What is the hurry with pilling games for Gor Mahia, the only surviving team on the continental scene!! The Arabs usually postone local league matches involving the teams on the continental scene. We must copy this if we want to compete with them. I want to thank all those that have chosen to air their disappointment with the way we played in the match against Kariobangi Sharks!!!! I want to trust the judgement of coach Kerr but his persistence on using Joash Onyango at the expense of Momanyi who I believe is a better option leaves a lot to be desired.