Gor Mahia beat Ulinzi 1-0 to win their record 16th Kenya Premier League title

Gor Mahia players celebrates their second goal against Nakumatt during their KPL match at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday 30/07/17. Gor won 2-0[Boniface Okendo,Standard]

Gor Mahia are the new Sportpesa Kenyan Premier League champions.

They achieved the feat for their 16th title victory after they whipped Ulinzi Stars 1-0 at Kericho Green Stadium in a tough encounter on Saturday.

Rwandese international Meddie Kagere scored the lone goal in the 15th minute to lead by the solitary goal at the break.

The victory was warm welcome to the British Coach Dyerr Kerr who succeeded Brazilian Joe Marcelo Ferreira who had served at the club for only 14 months after he took over from Scott Frank Nuttal.

The result left Gor Mahia perched at the top of the log with unassailable 66 points from 30 matches with four matches before they conclude their fixtures.

A jubilated Gor Coach Kerr attributed their victory to high discipline in the team.

“We have achieved all these due to a high sense of discipline among my players and their determination towards the title in every subsequent match,” he told Standard Sports.

The Gor tactician who said he is not only contented with this victory stated that he is now focused on leading the newly crown champions to a continental title next year and emulate their 1987 performance when they became the first club from East and Central Africa to lift the Mandela Cup (formerly Africa Cup Winners Cup).

“With the kind of quality of my players under me, we are now focused to win a continental title next season,” he explained.

Gor are scheduled to feature in the prestigious Africa Champions League next season.

However, despite the victory, he decried the state of the Kericho pitch, which he stated affected their mode of play.

“We would have won the match with a bigger margin had it not been the state of the pitch that was bumpy and affected our format of play,” he said.

The loss left Ulinzi Stars Head Coach Benjamin Nyangweso boys tongue tied after the comeback of defenders Mohammed ‘Rio’ Hassan, Oliver Ruto and Geoffrey Kokoyo and midfielder Boniface Onyango and winger Samuel Onyango who missed their previous matches due in accumulation of yellow cards.