NAIROBI, Kenya, October 2- Going, going, go… with the fall of the hammer for the 2013 Kenyan Premier League looming, there is no doubt the auctioneer will give it to Gor Mahia, the giants of local football who have waited for almost a generation to clinch the sale.
On Wednesday, the marauding K’Ogalo navigated through what was a potential banana skin in their procession to a first league crown since 1995 when they sent their vociferous Green Army to raptures with a 2-1 win over Mathare.
Once again, their latter day hero, Ugandan import, Dan Sserunkuma was heavily involved, calming the nerves with the opener before lanky substitute, Edwin Lavatsa, netted the winner and with six games remaining for the leaders, its difficult to see who will stop them from the crowning glory for the first time since 1995 bread cost only Sh10.
Kenneth Wendo had threatened to throw a spanner, albeit, a small one it must be said, to the works when he pulled a goal back but in the end, the best team in the competition thus far barring the few controversies along the way went home deserved winners.
At the final whistle, Gor’s lead at the summit opened up to eight points, that could potentially be 11 if they are awarded their ill-tempered abandoned match against Sony Sugar last month by the football authorities as the 2008 champions were left with the realisation that their top flight days could soon be over if they extend a losing run.
Even if against all expectations, Gor are denied the ‘boardroom’ points against the cane cutters, there is no doubt it will take an almost superhuman effort from the chasing pack or an inexplicable collapse on their part to cede the title.
Heck, they could even ‘forfeit’ the Sony points if only to aid their ‘B-side’ to move further away from the bottom! All in tongue-in-cheek of course!
Ahead of their latest encounter, Gor and Mathare had left the pitch in stalemate in six of their last seven games.
Mathare head coach, Stanley Okumbi, also talked up chances of upsetting the cart and mowing Gor but on 54 minutes, disaster struck for his team that started in 12th when their keeper, unwrapped an early Christmas present for the lethal Sserunkuma who is finding the range that saw him top-score last season in the league.
A poor clearance from Peter Odhiambo left him red faced seconds later when the Ugandan gobbled up the gift by sending the ball past the custodian for the opener.
On 88 minutes, Sserunkuma, the subject of a hilariously derogatory song on the stands from his adoring Green Army lieutenants that cannot be published in a family website, turned the provider for the second.
The dimunitive forward found Joseph Wanyonyi with a cut-back and when Odhiambo repelled his strike, Lavatsa pounced to score from the rebound.
There was still time for Wendo to save face for his club when he chipped the otherwise excellent Jerim Onyango in added time for the final score but that did not stop the champions-elect from ascending to 47 points at the top as Mathare slid a place down to 13 with 26.
– Material from SuperSport.com used in this report
