Gor begin quest for 18th league title
Gor Mahia will begin their quest for 18th league title this weekend (Saturday) against coastal side Bandari at Mbaraki stadium as from 3 pm.
Gor Mahia will be aiming for a positive start as they seek to record their seventh opening day win in the last eight seasons.
The only time Gor Mahia have failed to secure an opening day win since 2012 was in 2016 when they were held to a barren draw by Chemelil Sugar.
This will be the 35th league meeting between the two sides – the first league encounter dating way back to May 1990 when the two sides settled to a one all draw courtesy of goals by Joseph Owino for Gor Mahia and Charles Ombima for Bandari.
Gor Mahia have won 17 (50%) matches, losing only 6 and drawing 11 against Bandari and will be seeking to erase last season’s painful second leg defeat when the dockers broke their unbeaten league run that stood at 28 games back then.
Meddie Kagere and Godfrey Walusimbi who have since departed the club are the top scorers in this fixture, both having scored 3 goals while of the current players, George Odhiambo ‘Blackberry’ has scored twice in the league against the coastal lads.
Gor Mahia have generally enjoyed good form in front of goal against Bandari, scoring 38 times while conceding only 18 times, boasting a +20 goal difference.
While some rotation might be expected following their mid-week travel to Malawi, the game could mark the league debut for strikers Erissa Ssekisambu and former ZOO Kericho man Nicholas Kipkurui. Shafik Batambuze could be another new signing likely to make his league debut.