Freshly appointed Gor and Mathare Utd tacticians lock horns as league continues
Gor Mahia and Mathare United who have contracted new coaches will be out to steady their ship in the respective matches as the Kenyan Premier League (kpl) enters the 17th round this weekend.
While 17th-placed Mathare stalk new-comers FC Talanta in Ruaraka on Saturday, Gor who lie in the fifth position will hunt for maximum points against Posta Rangers at Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) Kasarani today.
Mathare are sailing in murky waters but the team’s trainer John Kamau, who replaced Ezekiel Akwana, would be desirous to astound the team’s critics although the obvious is that his charges must work hard to overcome the giant-killing Talanta.
Out of sixteen matches played, Mathare have lost a massive thirteen, winning two and drawing one and this is quite an uncomfortable reading which Kamau would wish to cast away.
“I will not promise that I shall perform miracles but if players can grasp my philosophy, then I believe the team can avoid relegation. They have to be steadfast to learn the tactics that I shall instil to them and hopefully, we should haul ourselves up from the odd place,” said Kamau.
The tactician, who has previously coached Thika United and lately Wazito, made the remarks shortly after being unveiled to replace Akwana who left the team on his own volition apparently due to poor results.
Like Kamau, Gor’s new expatriate coach in German Andreas Spier, who was drafted in to replace ‘underperforming’ Mark Harrison, certainly has a lot in his hands to turn round the fortunes of the multiple champions.
The experienced Spier’s immediate task is to help to appease the team’s disenchanted faithful after the embarrassing 3-0 defeat at the hands of Posta Rangers ten days ago in Thika.
Gor’ youthful international defender Philemon Otieno, who took over the captaincy from Haroun Shakava who has since joined Kenya Police, should lead K’ogalo from the front in the team’s quest to turn tables on Rangers.
Elsewhere at Mbaraki Sports ground, Mbaraki should be a vengeful lot against Tusker who beat them 1-0 in the two team’s first meeting of the season in Ruaraka last Wednesday.
Clude Senaji, the scorer of the ale-men’s lone goal that fell the dockers, will be out to add more misery on their hosts in the company of David Majak, Deogratius Ojok and Eric Zakayo among others.
But Tusker should better understand that Bandari are wounded and they should better be advised to keep close tabs on William Wadri and Abdallah Hassan.
