Nairobi City Stars picked up their first win of the season in style as they came from behind to stun record Kenyan champions Gor Mahia 2-1 in a 24/25 Football Kenya Federation Premier League match played on Monday at the Machakos Stadium.
Goals from Dennis Oalo and Robinson Asenwa saw the Nicholas Muyoti-coached side bring their five game winless run to a halt as they ended Gor Mahia’s unbeaten start to the season.
It was also the first game that Gor conceded after collecting clean sheets in all of their first three games.
City Stars started the match with more intensity compared to a Gor side that was reeling from the effects of losing five of their key players who had been called up to the Harambee Stars squad for the CHAN 2024 qualifiers.
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Austine Odhiambo, Ronney Onyango, Sylvester Owino, Geoffrey Ochieng and Alphonce Omija were all replaced by Rogers Ouma, Shariff Musa, Joshua Onyango, Levin Odhiambo and Kennedy Onyango respectively.
Despite their early pressure, it is K’Ogalo who got the breakthrough against the run of play when Odhiambo’s long range strike found the back of the net, albeit with some stroke of fortune, to give Gor the lead.
Two minutes later, City Stars almost restored parity as they sprung a quick counter attack only to be let down by Dennis Oalo’s poor finishing as the attacker failed to even trouble the keeper without any pressure whatsoever.
That chance almost came to haunt them with ten minutes left to the break when Gor unleashed their own counter when Bryson Wangai found the speedy Musa, but Mukolwe made a crucial save to ensure his side went into the break with only a goal to recover from.
Just as in the first half, City Stars once again started the second half on the front foot but could not just find a way past Dolph Junior in goal as the keeper made three crucial saves to preserve his side’s lead.
He first saved Oalo’s powerful strike in the 49th minute before making two saves in two minutes to keep out Sven Yidah and Elvis Noor just before the hour break.
Gor Mahia defence crumbles
On the hour mark though, City’s pressure finally told off when Asenwa got himself in the right place to finish off a ball that left the Gor defenders looking at the linesman for the offside flag only for the goal to be allowed.
Just eight minutes later, City Stars turned the game on its head when Onyango’s attempted clearance bounced off Oalo’s chest and into the back of the net for the second goal.
Try as they might, Gor could not find anything to salvage from the game despite City Stars’ Edwin Buliba being shown a red card in the 89th minute.
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