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By ROBIN TOSKIN
Afraid that old habits die hard, Gor Mahia legend George ‘Nyangi’ Odembo wants Bob Williamson’s boys to stick to their game plan against Esperance de Tunis tomorrow.
The last time Gor Mahia beat Tunisian side Esperance was in the final of the 1987 Africa Cup Winners’ Cup.
And Odembo, who played a key role in that glorious day warned: “I hope Esperance discarded those dirty tricks against us.
“The pictures of the two legs are still fresh in my mind,” Odembo told FeverPitch from North Carolina, USA.
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“It was nightmarish. They literally tried to gorge out Dawo’s eyes. They employed all the dirty tricks, but we were resolute.
“I have no inkling of the current crop of Gor Mahia players. However, I would only say they should stick to their game plan. All those tricks they employed on us were meant to throw us off balance. And they could still do it.
“It will be up to the coach and the captain to assess the size of the challenge and ensure the players stay focused.
Gor Mahia forced a 2-2 draw in Tunis and settled to a 1-1 in Nairobi to bag the trophy, but have not matched or improved on the feat 27 years on.
continental TITLE
Esperance on the other hand, have gone on to win the CAF Champions League twice (1994 and 2011), Africa Cup Winners Cup 1998, CAF Cup in 1997— all after their first ever showing at a continental final tie in 1987.
Odembo, fondly called “Nyangi” by the adoring Gor fans, however, thinks K’Ogalo can still discover their mojo.
“There is magic in that name, Gor Mahia. If the young lads can capture it, nothing is impossible.
“How I wish they could borrow from our spirit that we go in there to win together or lose together.
With a discernible emotional tone in his voice, Odembo reiterated that football is a team sport.
“People still talk about those shots. It would not have been possible to do so without Abbas Magongo teeing me up. Or Sammy Jogoo and George Onyango Fundi.
Dawo would not have scored those headers without Magongo’s deliveries from corners or free-kicks,” Odembo said.
Gor boasted of an array of stars that fired them to unprecedented treble in that successful season, who Odembo said knew how to play to each others’ strength.
“We trusted each other. When Austin (Oduor), Bassanga, Tyrus Omondi or David Ochieng’ were at the back, you were confident of their input. It did not matter whether you were in the starting line up or not.
“For this generation of players, I wish them well against Esperance on Saturday. By winning the league and going on to set up a tie with Esperance, they have shown the hunger to succeed.”
—rtoskin@standardmedia.co.ke
