Gor Mahia’s Ephraim Guikan dribbles the ball past a Jeshi La Kujenga Uchumi opponent during their CECAFA Kagame Cup match at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on July 13, 2018
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 13- Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia hit Zanzibar’s Jeshi la Kujenga Uchumi (JKU) 2-0 to claim the CECAFA Kagame Cup bronze medal at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Friday evening.
Samule Onyango emerged from the dark to score the second goal in added time after new signing Francis Mustafa put the Kenyans ahead early in the second half as they replicated the same result they posted when they last met in the SportPesa Super Cup in May.
With the win, Gor return home with a fattened purse of Sh1mn (10,000USD), but they still have a bitter taste in their moth after losing an opportunity of bagging their third piece of silverware this season.
Head coach Dylan Kerr made sweeping changes to the squad from the one that lost by a similar margin to finalists Azam FC in the semi-finals.
Innocent Wafula was handed the skipper’s armband while Shabaan Odhoji started in goal, his defense manned by Charles Momanyi, Joash Onyango and Philemon Otieno.
Mustafa partnered upfront with Ephraim Guikan while Onyango who has found himself in the cold since a below par performance against Mathare United in April was handed a chance to redeem himself with a place in the starting team.
The Gor Mahia team that started their CECAFA Kagame Cup match at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on July 13, 2018
Boniface Oluoch, Harun Shakava, Jack Tuyisenge and Godfrey Walusimbi were all rested while Francis Kahata, a huge subject of a much publicized transfer to Simba SC was not on the match day squad.
It was a much relaxed approach from Gor who were playing the play-off with no pressure on their shoulders. They should have opened their account after quarter of an hour mark but Mustafa failed to beat the keeper one on one after being put through by Kevin Omondi.
Mustafa had another opportunity after 10 minutes but once again, he failed to pull the trigger with a volley from inside the box.
After the break, Gor stepped up and they needed seven minutes to break the deadlock, charging into the box to beat keeper Mohammed Abrahman. Onyango then completed the job later with a low shot from inside the box after being put through by Omondi.
