Gor Mahia captain Philemon Otieno has expressed his gratitude to the team management following the extension of his stay at the club.
He remains confident that they will still secure the 24/25 Football Kenya Federation Premier League title despite their challenges at the start of the season.
Otieno, who was expected to leave the club this January transfer window after his contract expired in December 2024, was handed a new six-month contract till the end of the season with the extension expected to bolster the team’s defense after the injury to Ronney Onyango.
Upon signing the new contract, Philemon, who joined the club in 2017 and has lifted six trophies with Gor Mahia, thanked the management and vowed to help secure another Premier League title for the club.
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“I want to thank the management for granting me this new contract to continue as captain of Gor Mahia,” Otieno told TATA Sports.
“As you know, I’m one of the longest-serving players at the club, so I believe the management has high expectations for me. I promise our fans that I will give my all as captain to ensure we defend our title.”
He further expressed that his ultimate ambition is to leave the club on a high note by lifting the title as captain.
“Personally, I would love to depart from Gor Mahia after clinching the title this season. I have won many trophies with the club, but my desire is to leave with another title as captain,” he added.
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He also reiterated that his eventual exit will be impactful as Gor Mahia has become like family to him.
“Leaving the club will undoubtedly affect me deeply because Gor Mahia has been my home for so long. But that’s part of life, and I will have to accept it,” he concluded.
Another long-serving player, Ernest Wendo, was also one of those whose contracts had expired, but the club decided to retain him.
Wendo, who joined Gor Mahia in 2015, having won seven FKF Premier League titles in nine years becoming one of the successful player in the club.
With these two sensational players retained, Gor Mahia, under new head coach Sinisa Mihic, will look to earn points in their remaining matches.
Currently, they sit in third place on the league table with 31 points, six points behind Police FC and Tusker.
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