K’Ogalo, AFC Leopards go hunting in Kisumu ties
Sports
By
Gilbert Wandera
| May 14, 2016
Gor Mahia have everything to play for when they face Western Stima in tomorrow’s Kenyan Premier League match at Moi Stadium, Kisumu.
For starters, in six meetings, the KPL champions have lost just once (2-1 defeat in 2013). Since then, Gor Mahia have won all their KPL matches against Stima by an identical 2-0 score.
Secondly, K’Ogalo are enjoying an impressive home record. Playing at Stima’s official home-ground, Moi Stadium notwithstanding, the field is considered as Gor’s ‘home-ground’ too, as majority of their fans come from this area.
In six home matches, Gor Mahia have won three, drawn twice and lost just once. Gor Mahia are enjoying an impressive surge in results, which has seen them pick four wins in six rounds of matches, drawn once and lost once.
With such an impressive record, Gor Mahia remain firm favourites to pick all three points and will be inspired by last weekend’s 2-0 win over Muhoroni Youth at the same venue.
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Coach Jose Marcelo will once again turn to the resurgent George “Blackberry” Odhiambo and Jacques Tuyisenge for goals. Collins “Gattusso” Okoth is expected to come back in midfield in the absence of Ernest Wendo, who is suspended. Western Stima have had a good start so far and are seventh on the log with 18 points, which is an impressive performance by all means.
The team was unlucky to register a 2 - 2 draw against Mathare United last weekend. If form is anything to go by, they are likely to give Gor Mahia a lot of problems. In the six matches they have played at Moi Stadium, they have won four, drawn once and lost once, to Tusker.
Stima have really been unlucky on the road and are yet to conjure up a win. Stima coach Henri Omino has expressed his desire to finish in the top five before the first leg takes a break and will move closer to realise his dream, should he walk away with the maximum points tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Moi Stadium will today host another high profile KPL fixture between troubled AFC Leopards and Muhoroni Youth.
Things seem to be falling apart for Leopards after a good start to the season. First, their match against Ulinzi Stars was abandoned and they lost 2-1 to Western Stima before being bundled out of the KPL Top-8 tournament by the soldiers. The team drew 0-0 against Posta Rangers in their last KPL fixture. Can they rise up against Muhoroni Youth?
It will take the brilliance of Kepha Aswani to carry Leopards past their opponents, who are desperate for a win after falling 2-0 to Gor Mahia last weekend. Wycliff Ochomo, the league’s leading top scorer with nine goals should have a better performance against AFC Leopards.