NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 19- Gor Mahia head coach Dylan Kerr has praised his players’ attitude and team spirit as they near conclusion of their two-week training camp in Egerton, the outskirts of Kenya’s fourth largest city Nakuru.
Kerr says the rate at which the new players have integrated into the team has surpassed his expectation and believes they are getting into brilliant shape ahead of the new season.
“I am really proud of these players and what has been achieved over the past two weeks. There has been a great sense of togetherness and the team spirit is impressive. There is no division like one group not talking to another. It is one close knit family,” the tactician said.
The club has been hit with the departure of two key players skipper Musa Mohammed and midfielder Kenneth Muguna who will be joining Albanian second tier side KF Tirana but they have duly replaced them.
Among the high profile faces which have joined the team include winger Samuel Onyango from Ulinzi Stars, midfielders Cersidy Okeyo and Humphrey Mieno from Tusker, defender Charles Momanyi from Kakamega Homeboyz and Lawrence Juma from Nzoia Sugar among others.
Kerr says the new boys have shown great hunger and have integrated well with the rest of the squad.
“We have made some very good progress at this camp but there is still so much to do. This is the third week of pre-season and we have one more week before we play AFC Leopards. We will look to fine tune on a few areas when we get back to Nairobi and we will be ready,” the tactician added.
K’Ogalo will have their sternest pre-season test yet when they face Ugandan champions Kampala City Council Authority in a friendly match at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru on Saturday. The Ugandans arrived in the country on Friday evening.
Kerr has disclosed this match will be key in setting the season’s agenda, including finding the right balance on his best eleven as well as trying out different technical and tactical aspects of his side’s readiness for the season.
He has also intimated that he will give all players a chance to prove themselves.
After the KCCA match on Saturday, the team will travel back to Nairobi to prepare for their season-opening Super Cup match against arch rivals AFC Leopards on January 28 before playing their final pre-season friendly against Sudan’s Al Hilal Omdurman on January 31.
Meanwhile, KCCA who are preparing for the CAF Champions League will play former champions Tusker FC on Monday in Nairobi travelling to Nairobi then proceed to play AFC Leopards in Machakos on Wednesday and finally Sofapaka in Narok on Friday.