Gor Mahia News

Gor Mahia today provided the complete list of 8 new players who have joined the squad for the 2018-2019 season. The eight are:

Erick Ombija , Castro Ogendo , Erisa Sekisambu (Vipers SC), Geoffrey Ochieng (Western Stima), Shafik Batambuze (Singida United), Kenneth Muguna (FK Tirana), Nicholas Kipkirui (Zoo FC) and Pascal Ogweno (Kariobangi Sharks).

Wesley Onguso and Kevin Omondi have been released. Omondi’s form dipped significantly last season after what seemed like a brilliant start. It appeared he was on his way to regaining the form that saw him called up to the national team at age 19.

New Coach

Despite earlier stating that Zedekiah Otieno will be given the reins as the full time coach, Chairman Ambrose Rachier has reversed course after having received numerous applications .

“We have 53 applicants as of yesterday (Sunday); some have coached in Kenya and some have never stepped foot in Kenya.” said Rachier to goal.com

Rachier now says the club is screening multiple applicants for the position.

“The panel of experts will have to do the vetting but I can state that we’ll have to consider experience, possibly in Africa football and the language ability of the candidate for ease of communication with the players.”

Gor Mahia have reportedly signed Ugandan attacker Erisa Sekisambu according to a report by blog Kahawatungu.

“It’s a done deal. The paperwork was done online to allow Gor Mahia register him in time for CAF Champions League,” said a club official.

Gor Mahia tried to sign the Ugandan in June but the deal fell through. His listed age is 23. But given that he made his first appearance in the Ugandan league in 2011, that age is questionable.

In Uganda, Sekisambu has played for SC Villa, URA, Express and Vipers. He recently played in the Indian league for Gokulam Kerala.

He would take the place of Ephrem Guikan who despite scoring numerous critical goals, failed to impress coach Dylan Kerr and is thus leaving.

Team manager Jolawi Obondo revealed that the club plans to send some players out on loan.

“We are also planning to loan out four players now that the federation adopted a new rule that permits academy players to feature for the senior team and vice versa. We tend to utilise fully our youth team,” he said to the Nation.

Castro Ogendo, a student at Kenyatta University has been signed by Kogalo on a four year deal. Ogendo is 20 years old and is highly rated. However team manager Jolawi Obondo said that young Castro will have a tough time breaking into the first team immediately.

“Yes, we have signed Ogendo, from Kenyatta University, he is a talented young lad who we want to groom and see if he can be of help in the future. We are still committed to developing players who shall take over in the near future, and Castro is one of them.” said Obondo to goal.com

Gor Mahia were also pursuing Allan Wanga of Kakamega Homeboyz, Sony Sugar’s goalkeeper Kevin Omondi, striker Erick Ombija of Coast Stima.

Ivorian Ephrem Guikan who was among Kogalo’s leading scorers this season despite limited playing opportunuties, is said to be leaving the club. He is one of the players whom coach Kerr has identified as surplus to his needs. Yesterday Guikan posted a message on his social media pages thanking chairman Rachier and wishing him success in the future.

The report on goal.com suggests that Gor Mahia want to replace him with either Burundian Caleb Bimenyimana of Rayon Sports or Ugandan Irissa Ssekisumba.

Club official Ronald Ngala told goal.com that the club is busy searching for a proven striker.

“Yes, it is true that we are in the market for a striker, we want to sharpen our attacking department and ensure that we get more goals in the coming season. We are going to take part in several competitions and will need a proven goal scorer to help us in attack.” he said.

Gor Mahia currently has three foreigners in the attack: Tuyisenge, Mustafa and the Ivorian Ephrem Guikan. Some rumours suggested that the club was pursuing Allan Wanga. Back in 2014, Gor Mahia did make Wanga an offer.

Ngala continued to say that some players might be released to pursue other opportunities.

“Definitely when we bring in players we will release some, but that does not mean we are selling them. We will find clubs for them to go on loan to ensure they get playing time,”

The duo of Innocent Wafula and Karim Nizigyimana are in the process of renewing their deals at Gor Mahia

“We have been in talks with Karim and Wafula but they haven’t signed their contracts yet. Once we are back everything will be completed. Their current contracts expire in January 2019 and so there’s nothing to worry about,” said CEO Omondi Aduda to futaa.com.

Karim missed most of last season with a torn achilles tendon. The speedy Wafula was very useful on the flanks when called upon. He can either play as a fullback or as a winger.

Newly signed Ugandan midfielder Shafiq Batambuze is looking forward to an opportunity to play for Kogalo.

“I’m glad to be part of the Gor Mahia family and I am ready to perform at my best, I want to take my career to another level through Gor,” Batambuze told Nation Sport.

Batambuze also spoke of his accomplishments in Tanzania

Tanzania has been good to me, I have been loved and supported and won individual awards. I took player of the month award and Mapinduzi Cup MVP (Most Valuable Player),” he added.

Gor Mahia secretary general Ben Omondi claims that neither chairman Ambrose Rachier nor Coach Kerr, nor himself approved the recent transfer moves.

Additional reporting from goal.com

Ambrose Rachier was quoted lamenting that the unveiling of both Muguna and Batambuze were ‘done hurriedly against my will’. Gor Mahia Secretary General Ben Omondi has raised an alarm over the manner in which the club is conducting its business in the ongoing transfer window.

Gor Maha have so far signed midfielder Kenneth Muguna and Ugandan Shafik Batambuze on a three and two year deals respectively. But Omondi is now questioning the new transfer policy being carried out by the club CEO Lordvic Aduda.

Omondi says that the rest of the club’s exo-embers are on the dark in the new transfer deals. “I don’t know under whose authority the CEO is working because most of the executive committee members are unaware of the details of these transfers. We just read about them on the media.

“The said transfer deals have been done without due procedure because according to the constitution of the club, any deal is supposed to be signed in the presence of the Chairman, Secretary General, and the treasurer, not the CEO,” Omondi told Goal.

Gor Mahia are also reportedly interested in the signature of Sofapaka midfielder Dennis Odhiambo but according to Omondi, the transfer business is being conducted with the utmost secrecy, not even head coach Dylan Kerr has an idea on who is being brought in.

“The coach made it very clear that he is satisfied with the number of foreign players and the truth is we (Gor Mahia) don’t have the money to sign more players.

“The EC is supposed to meet to chat the away forward because we are in the dark. We don’t even know anything about the signing fee.” Omondi added.

Club chairman Ambrose Rachier was also quoted by a section of the media lamenting that the unveiling of both Muguna and Batambuze were ‘done hurriedly against my will’.