Gor Mahia edge Sofapaka 1-0
Gor Mahia secured a crucial 1-0 win over a tough Sofapaka side on Sunday. The all important goal came from Samuel Onyango.
Additional reporting from the Nation
Gor Mahia moved to third place on the SportPesa Premier League log with a hard fought 1-0 win over Sofapaka at Afraha Stadium on Saturday.
Samuel Onyango scored the all-important goal for the champions on 24 minutes to decide the fiercely contested encounter.
It was a sweet win for the Green army who had just returned to Kenya after losing 2-1 to Angolan side Petro Atletico in the Caf Confederation Cup in midweek.
Gor coach Hassan Oktay was elated by his charges for holding on against tough customers like Sofapaka.
“The pressure in the Caf and domestic league is very high but I am proud of my boys as they are containing the heat,” said Oktay.
Sofapaka coach John Baraza rued missed chances for their defeat.
“Gor had their chance and never squandered it, that made the whole difference in this match. The game was well balanced and any team could have emerged the winner. The league is still in the early stages and we shall catch up in our subsequent matches,” said Baraza.
But it was the Batoto ba Mungu who took the game into their opponents earning an early corner at the quarter hour through Elly Asieche but it did not bear any fruit.
Earlier Jacques Tuyisenge saw his glancing header miss the target in the 14th minute as Gor stepped up pressure for an opener.
A spirited counter attack by Kogalo in the 24th minute saw Onyango slam his second goal of the season past stranded Sofapaka goalkeeper Justine Ndikumana following a superb combination with Tuyisenge.
Onyango should have doubled his side’s advantage in the 36th minute when he made a brilliant solo move and lifted the ball but his shot hit the side net.
Two minutes before the breather Gor continued with their tale of missed chances when Kenneth Muguna powerful header sailed over the bar.
On resumption Sofapaka coach John Baraza made three changes resting Brian Magonya, Pistone Mutamba and Umar Kasumba and introduced Ibrahim Kitawi, Steve Waruru and Tevin Omutere.
Francis Kahata nearly sent Gor 2-0 up in the 48th minute when he collected a loose ball inside the box but he fumbled. He was later withdrawn for George Odhiambo.
Oktay also rested Muguna and Tuyisenge and brought in Lawrence Juma and Dennis Oliech. Oliech missed a sitter at the death when his connection at the back post flew wide.
Congrats team. Now prepare well for Western Stima
thank God for his goodness. thanks team. we are soo happy.
Each game at a time. Even though referees are human, their consistent denying Tusenge goals isn’t fair. Kudos to the team.
Let’s shade this off very fast and prepare to host western stima in a must win mid week encounter.
I believe at mid point of 2018/2019 kpl fixtures we shall be taken our position undisputed at the top
Congratulations team Mayienga for that purposeful win. We march on unpertubed back to the summit. Thanks Coach Hassan Oktay for heeding wise counsel and taking wholesomely the proposed match day line-up save for one change in Sammy Onyango who started ahead of Blackberry. He did not disappoint and gave us the vital goal. When our heads work together results are always positive and GM emerges the winner. The TB credit to you all it is your victory as it the players and our wonderful green army faithful. The TC ours is to nod in glee and toast champaigne when our advise pays off. We are happy and long live our beloved Mighty Chuor Timbe…
We give GOD all the glory and congratulations TB, the players and the green army brigade for the overwhelming relentless support.
Keep it up Gor Mahia. The summit is the place where you belong.
Credit to Sofapaka for offering quality opposition which translates to Gor Mahia’s quality preparation for upcoming fixtures.
Praying for a win in in your next Caf Confederation fixture
Beating the mouthy baraza, muiruri and ingwe is more than the three points. Crash nyaudo of ulinzi and silence the noisy enemies of Kogallo. Congrats to the coach for restoring the fighting spirit and hunger to win.No mustafa no problem. Beat western stima in the way on Wednesday. Good luck.
I think we also missed mustafa for this game
Mustafa plays well behind strikers, i think the coach should not write him off,
Good kogallo keep up the tempo
Mustafa plays well behind strikers, i think the coach should not write him off,
Congrats team for the victory over another spotless paka. Ingwe these days have become black panther spotted somewhere in Nanyuki.
@jasego please continue with your updates and ignores the imbeciles that have nothing to offer.
*ignore*
@Jamigori We are together my brother…I appreciate you everyday owadwa. Let imbeciles engage in tomfoolery antics as their low IQ means they exercise higher brain function at a dismal perfunctory level. Their conundrums cannot stop us from lifting our team to greater heights…
Leo game imekuwa ya ORODHA NA MA”FOUL, very physical boring game but am happy for the 3 very important & morale boosting points.Kongole to all the fans who attended the much (you sure deserved better football display).Even though the pitch was bad it would be better if the experience, exposure & confidences we gain in continental matches becomes evident in our local matches.
Mahali tu coaches wana niangusha ni Midfield. Our midfield has no shape , we don’t maintain position (at least wendo does bt lacks confidence of distributing balls,mostly plays one touch football except for the last minute dribble). This can easily be noticed when we lose the ball.
Good performance Sam,Fred & Lawi.I think Batambuze has played a lot of games & needs to be rotated. Cheers TEAM KOGALO hata kama mcheza kama abadu.
Haha @ Levelmind bro ya leo ilikuwa ngumu na kiwanja pia ilikuwa haiwezi tiki taka or possession football. The team had to employ power play for the 3 points. Huenda hivo zingine tukubali kifua itembee bora ushindi. Things are gettig tougher continentally and locally so some games will be pure strategy of doing what is required only without adding poise and flair that we are known for. Once we go top of the table team will relax and enjoy playing neat passes. Sai pressure mingi if we lost today the unthinkable would have been said in many quarters…
@Jasego, orientation to new altitude takes 30 – 50 minutes of play. GM can take advantage of altitude against visiting teams by use of that power play. Good game without goals/ points count for nothing. Congratulations. But watch. This cat is slowly becoming a leopard.
Congratulations team. Goalkeeper Fredrick Odhiambo I note with pleasure that once again you kept a clean sheet against Sofapaka. The only disappointment is that Real lost at home to Girona.
J’Asego thank you for the good work. Just make sure that Francis Mustapha stays away. If K’Ogalo needs someone to be falling all the time in the field then that is something I can as well do.
Hehe BB awinji kijana no bomedo yweyo moromo
@BB, I am not an enthusiast of this clean sheet theory , its been a theory that has been promoted by the European media to spice their coverage .
This is a theory that at most times tends to mask a lot of the strengths and weaknesses of a team e.g the strengths and capability of De Gea to
keep clean sheets and concede few goals has tended to mask the fact that Man U has a shambolic and spineless defence , just like the pursuit of the same in Gor Mahia has made the base go on a tangent against Boniface Oluoch masking the fact that we are not that tight at the back , this is no way to excuse Boniface for the schoolboy howlers we have come to identify him with , but truth be told even in the midst of elastic emotions that on so many occasions amidst shambolic defending the same Boniface has saved our butts and hence while giving credit or otherwise , I prefer looking at a clean sheet or the lack of it in the context of the whole defensive unit .
Secondly @Colo has intimated an issue that may sound controversial I.e the issue of Mustapha , and popular or not , he is onto something which needs to be taken seriously I.e the positioning of Mustapha in the set up , I dont know how that would pan out but I have somebody like Ngolo kante as an example , because of Sarri , we are seeing a semi clueless Ngolo , so is it Ngolo that is the problem or his new position , another example is liverpool’s Nabi Keita , a hit when he was signed but clueless until the last two games when he was placed in the right position and showed his true worth or even Pogba being forced by Mourinho to play against his strengths etc etc and on that basis I think @Colo has a point and I wouldnt blame the coach on this , he has been with close to 30 players for close to only two months and with players that were not his signings , Feelings aside , this coach will find a way with the troops that he
found himself with .
And to cap it all , I will heartily take today’s three points with both hands unless somebody can convince me of any team in this world that wins 24/7 playing the way we who are not playing wishes
The coach paid attention and snubbed Boniface Oluoch, Mustapha and Ssekisambu for this game. In that way, we managed to score while at the same time keeping a clean sheet.
The exclusion of BlackBerry ensured speed and accuracy moving forward, not the usual casual transition where balls are lost to opponents and never tracked back.
Congratulations coach for your pinpoint fielding today. Beating a Sofapaka team that has gone four matches on a winning streak in their own backyard is no mean feat.
Bench those 3 guys eternally, the club doesn’t belong to them. Chokeee!
@Jambita i totally agree with you. Good observation, sometimes benching some of these players make them work harder when fielded in subsequent matches. A case in point is Shakava who has improved since he benched during previous matches.
Congrats team Gor. Good momentum.
I agree with you Jasego that we needed power play because of the nature of the pitch and the opponent who have had a good run in the league and was frustrated that we were going going to spoil their winning streak. Otherwise congratulations for the win as we match to the summit where we belong.
Thank you brother Michael Ogolo….We aim at finishing the 1st leg Top of the Table..
Congrats team, we appreciate your efforts considering the fact that these games come in quick succession.
Today’s result was good,with that pitch and for once the tempo was high
Oktay’s name is rarely mentioned when Gor wins because people have been brainwashed to believe that the good performance is an effort of an amorphous group calling itself Tc.When Fred odhiambo sees sense and disagrees then all manner of irrelevant vocabulary are thrown at him. Somebody brags a lot and yet it is Oktay who gives instructions on the touchline for players to increase tempo and win matches. Let’s be sensible here and stop what seems to be human worship. Bloggers with principled and objective comments who do not toe the ‘gods’ line are branded ingwe fans and despised. We are all Gor passionate fans who mean well for the club.
You are t correct for the worshippers to contend with. I can write countless analysis but that doesn’t mean I know all about Gor Mahia. We refuse to worship. Blogger and call on everyone to support Gor Mahia the Club and the people that have made everything possible. Glory be to God for the victory against Sofapaka.
Congratulations are in order for the good result from @gorimbecile.
@ODHIS muga, my namesy, what you say is your right. Those you claim worship an individual also enjoy the right to worship whoever they want. As for me I worship only God but when Jasego gives information that i consider important i read and appreciate. When Jasego engages me in a tactical discussion like transition from defence to attack, which player flourishes or struggles in what game/formation, who partners who well among others, we both realize we have a like mind in matters football and i respect him for that. When he engages in what constitutes speculation i ignore. You may save yourself a lot high blood pressure if you do the same. But if you must come here everyday to repeat the same thing you are no different. We heard you the first time. Take heart being labelled an Ingwe fan while you well know you are not leaves the one labeling you that the fool in all this.
cc: Fred Odhiambo
cc. oJomondi
While i congratulate the win, Admin should now shut down this site. Fake stories, rumour mongering, chest thumping, double blogging and idol worship has become the culture. Gone are the days of free speech, ideas and tactical analysis.
@Odhis Muga , I think you will agree with me that one can be correct but irrelevant just like one can be relevant but wrong , I leave the former to your interpretation but on the latter I will expound by saying that you are relevant on your opinion vis a vis Oktay as that is the perspective of why this wall exist as an interactive forum but wrong in your conclusion that people on this wall hold Oltay responsible when the team falls short while giving credit to non other than him when the team falls short .
When somebody on this forum says something or anything , am more interested on the content , credibility of the content and its relevance to why am here and not on the title real or imagined of who has said it , focussing on the latter is what invites the dismissals that follow their posts .
I think everybody here is for the well being of Gor Mahia as you rightly posit and not how good one is at personalising
irrelevancies .
*while giving credit to other than him when the team performs well.
@Teddy i couldn’t agree more with answers you have given @Odhis Muga. Brilliant piece
Greetings to you, great Musymo. I hope this greeting will not be misconstrued to be a form of worship. Unofficial sources have it that CAF normally deducts some statutory fees from the 27M that it remits after qualification for the group stage and by the time a club receives the money it is in the range of 20M. Now that the one month transfer window opens in March can’t K’Ogalo pool resources and rope in William Wadri? This is one player who can add another dimension to our attacking strategy.
@Oswozo Moziek, you mentioned in the preceding thread that all players were in attendance during training on Saturday. What was your assessment of Benard Ondiek? I am asking because this is one very intelligent AMF who for some reason does not appear to have caught the Cypriot’s eye. I rate Benard’s speed with that of George Nyangi Odembo and George Onyango Fundi. Players who whatever they lacked in physical speed they made it up in mental speed and ball artistry. It is long since Benard played and that was when he scored a penalty against Nyasa Bullets in Lilongwe. J’Asego any word on this?
@BB the Ondiek issue is one very common problem in GM. It is a syndrome of letting fame get into one’s head too fast and losing focus of the bigger picture. Season began with ondiek an integral part of GM formation at times even being deployed as a second striker and he acquitted himself quite well. Oktay came in and continued using him but in our league game at kasarani against Mathare i don’t know what happened he came in and put in a very casual shift that had the coach seething with anger as the team was really trying to get one over mathare. He has been sidelined for a while since but is back in the 18 man squad and will get his chance. Same case applies to Sammy Onyango who was the hero in Lobi Stars 3-1 demolition here only to go fluff chances seriously in Enugu that had coach altercating with him seriously after the game. He stayed out in the cold a while and is just back. My point is when players get a chance take it and keep improving daily to warrant cementing the spot. Look at how well Kenneth Muguna has taken his chance to become a permanent feature in the starting 11…
@Jasego, can the TB think re-signing of Walusimbi??, Denis Odhiambo to beef up the defense and midfield respectively.
@BB, the deduction thing is funny because the last time Rachier came to the press, he said after all deductions we only banked 13m. He said they even deduct some money for TV and i wondered if it is the clubs that pay Supersport or it should be CAF. Those in the know may clarify. As per your wishes for Wadri, I concur that in Bandari colours he has been a revelation. And he is 50 times better than Mustapha anyway. Will he have the mental strength to play and flourish at Gor? Only time and fate will tell. My concern is the defensive midfield position. You know i was once one of Wendo’s staunchest defenders but this season something is amiss in his play. Kariobangi Sharks have one gritty CDM called Sven Yidah….only if wishes were horses, I would have loved to see him play for us. Mwendwa would rather die than sell to Gor so mine remains just a a wish
@Musymo, can they consider Dennis Odhiambo of Sofapaka during the the open window??
Exactly @gilly, there were reports we were imminently signing him then the trail went cold.Hopefully, the EC will rekindle interest once the window opens in March?
You are to correct for the worshippers to contend with. I can write countless analysis but that doesn’t mean I know all about Gor Mahia. We refuse to worship any Blogger and call on everyone to support Gor Mahia the Club and the people that have made everything possible. Glory be to God for the victory against Sofapaka.
Ondiek is a very good player my worry is his not getting enough play time in this case or whatever the situation.in a diamond midfield he can be a gem in a holding mid three a revelation.perfomance today was good the field disrupted the flow though we need to be more direct, stronger in our play in the mid and faster execution of the chances. Three points in the bag we forge on. the squad has talent let the TB utilise it well…kipkirui a well twin for tuyisenge a very good performance from the lads
Congratulations to big team but my real tears to Ingwe, can you please wake up now and not later, we need you brother for the competition and excitement of it. Please Ingwe don’t dare go down.
@BB….from the many times that I have watched Gor training in Parklands,I can say all players normally put in a generally good shift.
However,as has been mentioned,Ondieks waterloo came versus Mathare when he was given the opportunity to shine but failed miserably.
Coming in as a sub he was meant to add punch but was totally off…he kept slipping and losing the ball and giving stray passes.His performance was so bad to the extent of fans calling for him to be taken off.
On the back of that performance the TB lost faith in him and he disappeared for a while only to reappear recently but has not really featured.
Perhaps he needs to be given another chance..anybody can have a bad day in the office!!
Exactly @gilly, there were reports we were imminently signing him then the trail went cold.Hopefully, the EC will rekindle interest once the window opens in March?
1:0 is so so sweet. Leave everyone doing his analysis and I am sure Otkay and his team will work towards improving on the teams performance.
I wish to wade into the issue of the players that are in Gor but are yet to be given despite several please from the fans and I want to advise thus ,
If and when you are given a first chance as a kogalo player and you dont make maximum use of that chance , the same fans who were pleading for your inclusion will mercilessly crucify you and damage your confidence so much that recovery from it will be more difficult than recovering from a phisical injury and I agree with the fans on this , I mean after I have pleaded and berated for your inclusion you then go ahead and pour egg on my face .
Secondly , any player coming into the pressure cooker that is Gor Mahia from the single digit fanbase teams must be psychologically prepared for a different atmosphere they are walking into , that is you will often see players who shine in other teams like Byron come into Gor and flop .
A player who has been the biggest disappointment to me is Samuel Onyango , this guy is an unserious version of Sammy Onyango Jogoo considering the potential anybody who knows football would attest to . The inconsistencies and -focusslessness-is unbearable
*But are yet to be given opportunities despite several pleas from the fanbase
To all those who have an institutional memory of Gor Mahia , Afc , Kenya Breweries , Kisumu Hotstars , MOW , Rivatex , Luo Union , Ramogi and Kenyan football at large , I needed to ask esp. @Jamigori ,@BB ,@Jasego etc , what ia it that we were doing then that we are not doing now , How and where were we get those serious players from and is it that the pond dried ? , I remember how disciplined and focussed people like Martin Ochieng Oswayo , Tobias Ochola , Sammy Sholei , Alphayo Odongo , Mohammed Abbas , The Ambani , The Musuku brothers , Bobby Ogolla , Oluoch Lule , Owino Kempes , The Mulamba brothers etc , players you would meet putting on personal shifts in their off training time , what happened to such industry ? , Players like Ramogi’s Oyoo Wazimu , Bata’s Tom Olaba , I mean the whole country was awash with brilliant footballers and if the opportunities that exist now existed then , we would be toe to toe with West Africans in the top leagues in Europe , anybody who has had the privilege of studying the West Africans approach to the expanded opportunities will attest to the fact that in comparison , we are completely not serious , if anybody would mention to me any player in kenya who has been at the top of his game consistently for more than 10years like the likes of the Juakalis I would be glad considering that if a player starts his journey at 18yrs , after 10 years the same should be 28yrs and with at least 4more years ago .
Is there any player in any of these local teams , Gor included who has shown or is showing any hint that they can match this-I doubt and it is sad that we have a generation and just in kenya who believe that there are other ways to success other than sheer hard work and after the 2-3 hrs of training retire to 15hrs of chewing Mogoka
@Teddy you have already answered your query so aptly. The aforementioned players of yesteryears were serious in the business of football. Negative societal norms and influences were not as rampant and their diet was very healthy comprising of Omuogo, Nyuka, Rech and Kuon Bel not GMO derivatives that nowadays flood the market. Nowadays with the digital age-era and it’s accompanying ramifications players drink guinness., viceroy, pilsner more than Jasego and Yourself ( lol) and chew mogoka as a past time activity which is very addictive. The result is that yes they are very skillful but not strong reason why complaints abound of players fitness levels, endurance and ability to play high tempo soccer for 90 mins. The waterloo that is this lifestyle comes to the fore when most go abroad for trials with fully professional teams. Flopping is a constant more often than not. Discipline is everything in football and we must try guide our players since we treasure them but it eventually all comes down to their personal choices and ambition at the end of the day…
Ja Sofaset wadwa, George Odhiambo Blackberry has featured for Gor Mahia for over 10 years now.Jerim Onyango Jagoal to. I agree, they are not many though.
Amor, Piny Mor, Polo bende Mor. For God and my beloved club – Kogallo
@Teddy, I think the contributing factors affecting our players are:-
1. Poor dieting
2. Free lifestyle of having several women
3. Lack of discipline
4. Ubeste
5. Laziness
Bloggers lets be very logic and sober when it comes to games analysis, if you want to prove that Kogallo have really improved since when this season we scored in first half and failed to conceed in the entire match??? Tuambiane tuu ukweli defence was fantastic but most amazing area that i was happy about was midfield combination of miguna, kahata and wendo was was giving sofapanya a tireless move coz there accurate passes was unmarkable kudos boy for such a great win
Congrats team for the win. We have two more crucial games which we must win. Does someone know what happened to the second sponsor we were ‘promised’ to be availed last week? @Jasego, any leads.
@Dan Negotiations have been on-going btn them and EC and i don’t know what is holding up the announcement as it was supposed to be done last week. It is an issue that Chairman is handling personally i cannot pre-empt reasons for the delay…
@Jasego or anyone who has an answer , what does this second sponsor bring to the table ?, I ask this because am made to understand that the sports pesa sponsorship only covers domestic obligations and on this SP issue I normally wonder why we still go ahead and adorn SP labelled outfits while discharging our international obligations thereby giving SP free international publicity , ofcourse that has since been stopped but because of Caf and not because of Gor or SP , so will this second cover the international funding gap that is not taken care by SP? , were that be so , it would indeed save as the perenial embarassment of the infamous begging bowl allowing us to focus on our core mandate which is football .
K’Ogalo I want to thank all of you for taking time and giving very elaborate answers to the questions that I had raised. Thank you J’Asego, Musymo, Oswozo Moziek, Teddy, Dan, JTGJ and Gilly.
Admin, I think you should introduce emojis and like buttons in this website of yours. You should also introduce online registration portal for wannabe fans who want to register as Gor Mahia fans. Kwani kazi imekushinda?
@ Blogger, a good idea regarding registration. The Admin should also improve the web to show the number of bloggers and i agree introduce a registration portal with link to how registration or subscription fee can be wired to a secure account. Its main purpose to motivate performing players directly not accessed by the EC. However i encourage people to be using their real names especially if you are not malicious and genuine. Lets avoid these pseudo names…
@ Blogger, a good idea regarding registration. The Admin should also improve the web to show the number of bloggers and i agree introduce a registration portal with link to how registration or subscription fee can be wired to a secure account. Its main purpose to motivate performing players directly not accessed by the EC. However i encourage people to be using their real names especially if you are not malicious and genuine. Lets avoid these pseudo names…