Nicholas Kipkirui Archives

Kikpkirui: It is difficult but I haven’t left

August 20, 2020 by admin

Striker Nicholas Kipkirui who was reported to be leaving Gor Mahia has stated that he has not left. He howerver indicated that life has become very difficult for Gor Mahia players ever since the withdrawal of Sportpesa

Additional reporting from the Star

The trio of Kipkirui, Harambee Stars right back Philemon Otieno and Ghanaian import Jackson Owusu were rumoured to have parted ways with the record champions due to lack of pay.

Among the players who have ditched the club are assistant captain and Stars centre half Joash Onyango who joined Tanzanian champions Simba and Boniface Omondi who left for Wazito.

Third choice goalkeeper Peter Odhiambo and the Tanzanian duo of Dickson Ambundo and David Mapigano have also quit while others are rumoured to be on their way out.

Kipkirui, who arrived at Gor in 2018, said he had more than a year remaining on his contract and was yet to decide on his next move. The former Zoo FC striker said should he elect to part company with his employers, he will do it in a more respectful and honourable manner.

“I haven’t left Gor neither have I agreed to take another challenge elsewhere or been handed my release letter. I still have more than a year remaining on my contract and if I get another deal, I will endeavour to exit harmoniously. It’s normal for players to be linked to other clubs and land offers when transfer window opens,” said the Stars trialist.

Despite rebutting the exit claims,Kipkirui admitted that life at Gor was increasingly becoming unbearable.

Gor players have been barely surviving from the time they lost their former shirt sponsor SportPesa last year with most of them relying on handouts and donations from fans.

The club signed a Sh55 million deal per year with Betsafe in June but the sponsorship will take effect next season. Kipkirui called on the club management to take care of the players’ welfare.

“Life is a bit tough out here considering we have gone for long without pay. Its upon the management to take care of the players otherwise other clubs will take advantage of our vulnerability,” he added.

Report: Kipkirui, Philemon Otieno, Owusu are leaving

August 19, 2020August 19, 2020 by admin

A number of reports indicate that Gor Mahia are set to lose more key players including Nicholas Kipkirui who pledged to stay only a few weeks back, Jackson Owusu, whom coach Polack has been pleading with to stay and Philemon Otieno who was left to fend for himself when he picked up an injury that was potentially career threatening, are all said to be leaving Kogallo.

Additional reporting from goal.com

Latest rumours indicate the trio are set to exit the club in what is expected to be a massive exodus from the record KPL champions
Nicholas Kipkirui, Jackson Owusu and Philemon Otieno are reportedly on their way out of Gor Mahia.

Kipkirui, who was signed from the Kenyan Premier League (KL) side Zoo FC in 2018, is said to be on his way out of the Green Army for personal reasons.

The youngster was among the players Gor Mahia depended on to give them goals in the Caf Champions League and Confederation Cup assignments as well as in the league campaign.

His role became even more important after the record league champions lost Rwandan international Jacques Tuyisenge to Petro Atletico of Angola in 2019.

On the other hand, Otieno missed the 2019/20 campaign after he sustained an injury when he was playing for Kenya against Tanzania in an African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifier in August 2019 at Kasarani.

His injury generated friction between his club and the national team as both sides traded accusations on who was responsible for taking charge of Otieno’s medical bills.

In a recent interview, the full-back stated he had to seek private medication, an effort that was boosted by his international teammates including Victor Wanyama and Michael Olunga.

Owusu, who signed for Gor Mahia in the last transfer window, arrived to join Steven Polack from Asante Kotoko of Ghana but his stay was characterised by hotel controversies.

A Buruburu hotel, where the Ghanaian was staying since he arrived in the country, had halted serving him due to huge pending bills which were supposed to be taken care of by Gor Mahia.

Although he had a good start on the pitch for the KPL bigwigs, his arrival coincided with financial struggles as the club ran without a sponsor.

In the latest interview with Goal, coach Polack confirmed the midfielder had promised him he will rejoin the club ahead of the new campaign but recent reports indicate otherwise.

“Well, he said to me yes, he wants to come back, but you never know, in football you never know negotiations how they go,” Polack said.

“I still want to keep the player, he is part of my plans and I have asked the club to make sure we keep him but as I said, at the end of the day what matters are the negotiations between the club and the player.”

The tactician also said he was going to come back from his leave only if he is assured the situation at Gor Mahia improves.

Gor Mahia have lost Boniface Omondi to Wazito FC whereas David Mapigano left and has signed a two-year deal with Azam FC of Tanzania.

Dependable centre-back Joash Onyango followed Francis Kahata and Meddie Kagere to Simba SC on a two-year deal too.

The Green Army have, however, been linked with a number of Western Stima players including Benson Omalla, Samuel Njau, Kelvin Wesonga, Sydney Ochieng, Kennedy Owino, and Abdalla Wankuru.

Polack: Gor Mahia must keep players to compete in Africa

June 1, 2020June 1, 2020 by admin

A number of key players are running out of contract and coach Steve Polack has expressed concern that if they leave, Kogallo will not be competitive in continental football next season

Additional reporting from goal.com

The British coach warns K’Ogalo to make sure they keep their best players ahead of the new season set for August
Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack has warned club management they will be going a step down should they allow their best players to leave in the coming transfer window.

K’Ogalo have already been crowned the 2019-20 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions, a fourth straight title in a row, after Football Kenya Federation (FKF) moved to end the top-flight owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

By winning the league, Gor Mahia secured a ticket to represent the country in the Caf Champions League next year but a number of their key players have contracts running down among them defender Joash Onyango and midfielder Boniface Omondi.

Meanwhile, captain Kenneth Muguna and Tanzania duo of keeper David Mapigano and Dickson Ambundo have openly revealed they will leave the club if they get a good offer in the coming window.

It is the reason the British coach has pleaded with the club’s top brass to make sure they keep their best players so they can be able to compete with the best teams in the continent come next season.

“If they [officials] want Gor Mahia to do well in Caf competition, then they must make sure we keep the best players we currently have in the squad for continuity purposes,” Polack told Goal.

“We have to sit down with my management, look at the players whose contracts have run down, are they going to sign are they going to go? If they are not staying, then we must look out for players we have to bring into the club.

“Of course I have players I am interested in but I will always go for sticking with the same team, you have to keep stability and cannot keep changing a team every year, you cannot keep changing 10 to 15 players every year, for me that is wrong and is something I don’t want to see happen at Gor Mahia while I am in charge.

“You cannot have stability in a team when you keep changing players, we have to see the players we have and make sure we keep them, we must talk to those whose contracts are running out and then after that we can go for a few new faces to help complete the squad.”

Asked on whether keeping the squad intact and signing a few new faces will help Gor Mahia to do well in Caf competition, Polack responded: “Of course yes, that is the way to go, when you have your squad intact it becomes easy for the new signings to integrate well and it makes your work easier as a coach.

“But changing your team every year will affect your team because you were improving with the squad, and then you have to start afresh by helping the new signings to get to understand your philosophy and get used to the team, which might take time.”

Last season, Gor Mahia’s dreams of making it to the group stages of the competition were ended after they were knocked out of the first round following a 6-1 aggregate loss to Algeria’s USM Algers.

Kipkirui says he is loyal to Gor Mahia

Gor Mahia prolific talisman Nicholas Kipkirui has assured K’Ogalo fans that he is going nowhere as a mass exodus of players looms at the club.

Kipkirui, who revealed that he has got offers from a number of clubs, says that his allegiance is with the club and he plans to see out his contract which ends in June 2021.

The former Zoo Kericho attacker, who revealed that being broke has forced him to relocate from Nairobi to his home in Kericho County, says Gor was there for him during his long spell with injury and the best way of paying back is to stick with the Kenyan Premier League champions through happier and sad times.

“I’m not going anywhere soon. Yes, I know many will leave at the end of the season because of the tough financial conditions at the club, but I am determined to finish my contract and renegotiate with the club,” he said.

Since the exit of their shirt sponsor, Sportpesa in August year, K’Ogalo has found it hard to pay salaries and currently owes players pay for several months.

The 23-year-old, however said his main focus is regaining top form so that he can lead K’Ogalo to clinch both the domestic and continental titles next season.

“I just want to get back to top form and I believe I can achieve that since the injury I had at the start of this season was a great setback and affected my performance,” he added.

The versatile attacker who has been a regular starter at K’Ogalo revealed that he is now training with some of the local clubs in Kericho so as to keep fit.

“I have been following the training schedule given to us by our coach and also trains with local clubs here. There is a lot of talents in Kericho which needs to be tapped,” he said.

The highly rated striker joined Gor in November 2018 from Zoo Kericho, where he is remembered for scoring 14 league goals for the then newly promoted KPL side.

Despite inconsistent performances this season, Kipkurui has managed to be Polack’s first choice striker, relegating Ugandan import Juma Balinya to the bench.

Other strikers Gor boasts of in their squad are Boniface Omondi, Kennedy Agogo, former Kibera Black Stars striker, Nicholas Omondi and former Migori Youth forward, Clinton Okoth.

Kipkirui, the 2018 Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) Young Player of the Year Award winner, has bagged four league goals this season.

Oktay: Kipkirui, Muguna, Onyango, Shakava should be in AFCON squad

May 20, 2019May 20, 2019 by admin

Gor Mahia coach Hassan Oktay is adamant that some of his players are getting the short shrift when it comes to selection to the national team.

In particular he has mentioned Kenneth Muguna, Nicholas Kipkirui, Harun Shakava and Samuel Onyango as players who should be headed to Egypt if selection was fair.

“I said it before and will still repeat the same, Nicholas Kipkirui and Kenneth Muguna are good players who deserve to be in the national team. Captain Harun Shakava is also on form and should be in the squad. I don’t know why they are not included in the squad,”

Muguna has been an excellent performer since the second leg of the league started. Winning balls decisively despite his slender frame as he did when he dispossed an AFC player on Sunday leading to the second goal. Engineering lightning quick counter-attacks as he did against Sofapaka last week, finding Kahata as the latter was racing down the right flank, leading to the second goal against Sofapaka. And his passes have been sharp, leading to numerous goals including the second goal against AFC. Some wrote him off after he had a poor start to the season after a long layoff . Many more wrote him off after he questioned coach Oktay’s player selection criteria.

Kipkirui has shown that he has a poachers instinct. His ability to make intelligent runs into the box has resulted in 12 goals for himself this season. Not much was expected from him when he joined. He has been the revelation of the season and should be rewarded with a place in the national team.

Samuel Onyango has been solid all season, scoring often despite not starting in many games. Most memorable was his goal against Lobi Stars whereby he left two Naija defenders sprawled on the grass before planting the ball into the empty net.

“Look, like for Kipkirui he deserves to be in the U23 squad and now he has already matured and can feature for the senior team. Samuel Onyango is also having a season of his life and deserves to be considered. I am not defending them because they are Gor Mahia players, but because they deserve to be in the squad.” continued Oktay.

Shakava is solid in defense and has gone about the business of defending and captaining. He has been professional and did not raise a complaint when coach Oktay handed the captains armband to Dennis Oliech. All in all Shakava has been a tall pillar in the Kogalo defense.

On Sunday many fans were left wondering how Paul Were was selected ahead of the Kogalo players. Its a situation similar to 1997 and 1998 when Gor Mahia had the countries best midfielders in Dan Ogada, Tom Okaya, Frazier Ochieng and others but they were ignored by the national team selectors.

Oktay: We were the better side

Coach Oktay also lauded his side for dominating against their arch rivals on Sunday.

“This did not look like a derby. I can’t believe it. Apart from the numbers it is impossible to know that this was a derby. We dominated the game, we created and missed many chances, were able to play great football. They (Leopards) didn’t give us the expected completion,” he told goal.com

For his part AFC coach Casa Mbungo admitted that Kogalo has better players but vowed to strengthen his side for next season.

“They caught us. We had come to give them a challenge but they were better than us today. I will ask the office to provide a good budget so that we can make good signings at the end of the season. That is the only way we can compete favourably against Gor,” he said

Kipkirui gunning for golden boot

February 18, 2019February 18, 2019 by admin

Gor Mahia’s new sensation, Nicholas Kipkirui is determined to build on his good start and finish as top scorer in the premier league. Kipkirui joined from Zoo Kericho and not much was expected from him. But he has proven doubters wrong with his ability to place himself in the right spot at the right time to score.