In a season where Gor Mahia aimed for a domestic double, the FKF Cup Final against Nairobi United was expected to be a celebration. Instead, the team lost 2-1, leaving fans angry, players confused, and coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno under pressure.
Nairobi United played well, but Gor Mahia’s loss was mainly due to their own mistakes. Zico chose a 4-4-2 formation for the match. Enock Morrison and Alpha Onyango started in the midfield. Ben Stanley Omondi, who scored Gor Mahia’s goal, played on the left, while Sharif Musa was on the right. The plan seemed to be to let Omondi move in and help Austin Odhiambo, who played behind Benson Omalla at the front.
In defense, Gor Mahia had Alphonce Omija as the right back, with Joshua Onyango and Sylvester Owino in central defense. Bryton Onyona played left back to support Omondi. After 20 minutes of struggling, Gor Mahia began to gain control. Omondi equalized when Sharif Musa sent a cross that was poorly cleared by Nairobi United, allowing Omondi to score.
However, Zico made a surprising move by substituting Omondi in the 60th minute, bringing in Bryson Wangai instead. The goal was to get a player who could deliver crosses. Zico also replaced Enock Morrison with Lawrence Juma. This change contributed to Nairobi United’s winning goal, as Juma was pulled out of position, allowing Duncan Omalla to assist the goal.
Another puzzling decision was leaving Gad Mathews Otieno on the bench. He had been in good form leading up to the final winning the Golden Glove award. Kevin Omondi, who had played less this season, replaced him, which raised questions. Frank Owia scored a great goal, but Omondi may not have performed as well in goal. The shot that resulted in the second goal could have been saved better by a more active goalkeeper.
Additionally, Zico made a surprising choice by allowing Alpha Onyango to take the penalty in the 84th minute, even though Austin Odhiambo and Benson Omala were on the field and are better penalty takers. The idea to help Onyango win the Golden Boot backfired, but given the situation, this seemed like a poor choice. Onyango’s penalty was saved easily by Nairobi United’s Ernest Muhammed, which represented Gor Mahia’s struggles throughout the season.
By the end of the match, frustrated Gor Mahia fans called for Zico’s dismissal, and he had to be escorted by police officers who used tear gas and rubber bullets to keep the situation under control.
In summary, Gor Mahia didn’t just lose a final; they lost control of a match they could have won. Regardless of whether Zico stays or goes, the decisions made in this match will impact the club in the off-season and could shape its future.