Excel against odds: Gor Mahia enjoy their moment of glory as KPL champions

President Uhuru Kenyatta with Gor Mahia football club players when they presented the 2014 Tusker Premier League Championship trophy at State House, Nairobi. PSCU

Gor Mahia are basking in the limelight, for the right reasons, after clinching the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title with everyone who matters lining up to claim a piece of the team.

One week after their coronation, Gor have already been hosted for lunch by Football Kenya Federation (FKF) where Sports Minister Hassan Wario was in attendance.

However, the icing on the cake was a visit to State House on Friday morning where they became the first KPL champions to be accorded such honour.

The last time Gor visited State House was in 1987 after the team won the Mandela Cup, and even then a majority of the current players had not been born.

But what makes Gor’s victory even sweeter is the fact that they beat all odds to emerge champions for the second time in a row.

The team lost their shirt sponsor in April when Tuzo failed to renew a one-year contract.

However, despite this set-back, club officials managed to keep the players together, and under extreme difficulties they emerged champions.

There were days when players threatened to go on strike in protest of delays in payment of either allowances or salaries but the officials and fans always found a way to dissuade them.

rewarded efforts

Today, they can look back with pride at the sacrifices made to attain their goal.

Compare this with two of their fiercest rivals AFC Leopards and Tusker and you can rightly deduce the attitude of the team played a major role to push the club to the top.

AFC Leopards and Tusker are still enjoying great sponsorships yet with all this, they failed in their title chase.

As the weeks go by, Gor Mahia are expected to enjoy more and more attention a move the club chairman Ambrose Rachier is happy about.

“We will not turn down any invitation from those who want to share in our victory. Everyone is welcome to host us,” he said.

Already there are plans for Deputy President William Ruto to host the team. Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is also expected to host the team. Raila is the patron of the club.

Even in the midst of all the celebration, club officials must not forget the need to get a shirt sponsor as soon as possible.

The club has a huge budget in a bid to honour their continental assignments next year and without a sponsor it will almost be impossible for them to participate.

A single group match costs over Sh5 million.

It is good news that the President promised to help them acquire a shirt sponsor soon. — [email protected]