- Gor Mahia assistant coach Kobi-Mensah lamented his side’s defensive lapses despite staging comeback to defeat Bidco United 2–1.
- Gor Mahia fell behind to Brian Mboya’s first-half header before substitutes Ebenezer Assifuah and Paul Ochouga sealed the victory.
- Mensah blamed poor attention to detail at the back, criticizing his defenders for allowing opponents too much freedom in the box.
Gor Mahia assistant coach Bismark Kobi-Mensah was left lamenting his side’s defensive frailties despite staging yet another dramatic comeback to defeat Bidco United 2–1 on Saturday at the Kasarani Stadium.
Bidco, who hosted this Round 18 SportPesa League fixture, broke the deadlock through a well-taken header by Brian Mboya in the first half.
Ebenezer Assifuah then came off the bench to equalize with a neat left-footed finish before K’Ogalo sealed the victory deep into stoppage time, with Paul Ochouga netting the winner to secure three crucial points in the tight title race against rivals AFC Leopards.
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Gor Mahia assistant coach Kobi-Mensah laments defensive frailties
Despite the important away win and avenging their first-leg 1–0 loss to the Oilers, Kobi-Mensah was not entirely satisfied.
He stressed that the defense neglected essential details, repeatedly allowing Anthony Akhulia’s side free headers in the box a basic error he found unacceptable for defenders.
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Seriously, we still had belief even when we were down, but I think it put us under unnecessary pressure,” he said.
The first 15 to 20 minutes we started well and controlled the game. But before the winning goal, the opponents had about four free headers inside our box, which for me is totally unacceptable.
Players must take responsibility for the small things on the pitch. If you don’t get those right, it becomes very difficult, especially defensively. That said, we showed great character, fought under pressure, and finished strongly.”
In his response, Bismark also revealed the tactical adjustment made at halftime to address the issue.
New signing Frank Odhiambo was introduced for Michael Kibwage, a move designed to add experience and composure.
The returnee, formerly with Swedish side Djurgardens IF, made an immediate impact on his debut.
We brought Frank in as a tactical change to solve the main problem, which was dealing with free headers,” he explained.
If that had continued, I don’t know what the outcome would have been. We had seen him in training and knew he was a quality player.
He handled second balls well in the final third, and his experience from playing in Europe helped him control the game. He delivered well.”
Meanwhile, the Ghanaian international highlighted the impact of their substitutes in recent matches, praising the strategic depth of the squad.
“It is very important to have a strong bench,” he added.
It’s equally important for the players coming in to raise the level of the game. Many times substitutes kill the tempo, but our players have been coming on and improving the team.
The technical bench is always alert in identifying areas that need strengthening in every match.”
Gor Mahia now sit level at the top of the SportPesa League table with archrivals AFC Leopards, both on 36 points, though Gor still have a pending fixture against Nairobi United.