After a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Bidco United on Sunday, reigning Kenyan champions Gor Mahia will return to action on Wednesday evening (4:00 PM) when they host Shabana FC in a midweek fixture at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos County.
This encounter is expected to have the intensity of a derby as both teams are sponsored by the leading Kenyan betting firm SportPesa. Additionally, neither team has a permanent head coach with both currently led by interim managers.
Gor Mahia, who suffered a narrow loss to Bidco United will be seeking to bounce back to winning ways in order to keep hopes of clinching the league title for a record-extending 22nd time alive.
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Interim head coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno will also be aiming for his fourth win since taking over the reins at the club.
On the other hand, Shabana will approach the match with confidence after their impressive 2-1 victory over Talanta FC at the Gusii Stadium last weekend.
The win pushed them up to 8th place on the standings, lifting their spirits and boosting their league tally to 16 points.
Shabana FC interim coach, Peter Okidi, acknowledged the challenge ahead but remained optimistic, emphasizing that the team’s performance is improving.
He also stressed that despite Gor Mahia’s status, they would approach the match with a different mindset compared to their recent encounter with Talanta FC.
“It’s going to be a tough game for us because of Gor Mahia’s stature, but we’re not in poor form either. We’ll approach the match differently from the way we did against Talanta FC,” Okidi said after the victory over Talanta.
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This will be just the third meeting between these two sides in the Premier League, with Gor Mahia having won both encounters last season.
In the first leg, a late goal from Rooney Onyango secured a 1-0 win, despite Shabana’s Abisolom Aduda being sent off.
The second leg was similarly tight, with Gor Mahia prevailing 1-0 thanks to a first-half strike by Benson Omalla.
For Gor Mahia, victory will be crucial as they aim to close the gap on league leaders KCB who are currently six points ahead.
Meanwhile, Shabana will be targeting a win that could see them move into fourth place on the table.
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