This is the K’Ogalo that will win this season’s title

It took a stoppage time goal from Collins ‘Gatusso’ Okoth for Gor Mahia to break a resilient and hard to crack City Stars side on Sunday.

In the process, the defending champions moved two points closer to log leaders Tusker who they are now trailing by only three points.

In my last article on Gor, I talked about tinkering of the squad by coach Marcelo Ferreira and also unnecessary squad rotation much to the chagrin of a fan who through a comment on the post, told me to keep the ideas to myself as they are not needed anyway.

But on Sunday, after two consecutive draws punctuated by drub displays, K’Ogalo finally returned to the winning ways through two players I wanted to be restored to the lineup. Harun Shakava put Gor ahead in the first half leaving the stage for Okoth to complete matters in the last minute of stoppage time scrambling away a loose ball from Enock Agwanda’s long throw.

I know the fan, if he goes to the stadium, was among the frenzied fans who celebrated the win akin to winning a trophy on Sunday. It was a sigh of relief. Finally Gor won and closed the gap on Tusker who they will have to contend with for the entire campaign to defend the trophy they have won three times on the beat.

Ernest Wendo, Amos Nondi and George Odhiambo were out of the starting line up on Sunday and the team enjoyed balance in midfield as well as attack. Against a dangerous and rejuvenated City, the team would not have coped with a leaking midfield as has been in the previous two games.

I am in no way saying that the three players are bad but the coach needs to realize that at the moment they are not good for the first eleven. Nondi is a star for the future and will get better with time. Right now he should be integrated into the squad cautiously. Wendo is a rough diamond who needs polishing in his position. Blackberry on the other hand should only be utilized as an impact player and should ideally be behind new signing Baron Oketch on the pecking order.

Shakava and stand-in-Captain Musa Mohammed are the best center back pairing Gor have and should be maintained unless there is injury. Luke Ochieng is not a center back by trade and is past his best. Thank God the coach saw sense and dropped him out of the 18 man squad as that is where he belongs.

K’Ogalo will win this season’s title albeit after being pushed hard by either Tusker or Ulinzi but to achieve this, they have to play their best players and stop uncalled for experiments that will only leave the team licking its wounds when the season comes to a halt.