Gor Mahia head coach Charles Akonnor has hailed his team’s maturity following Sunday’s 3-1 SportPesa League victory over Ulinzi Stars that saw the league leaders open a double-digit lead at the top of the table.
Reflecting on the match and overall performance, Akonnor noted the calculated nature of their approach, stating,
“We dealt deep into our tactical play. We needed to be sound, we needed to be smart. We knew we were not going to get too many chances, but we needed to be smart.”
He was full of praise for his squad’s execution under pressure, adding “the boys have been very, very impressive in terms of tactically how we played, and we are very happy we managed to get the three goals to win the three points.”
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The win carries significant weight in the race for the title, especially following AFC Leopards shock loss to Mathare United on Saturday.
Akonnor acknowledged the importance of the current standings,
“It’s now 10 points clear on the log. It’s good. I mean, it’s very good. It was one of the defining moments as far as the championship is concerned. We knew because AFC slipped yesterday and we had a chance and we needed to take it.”
ALSO READ: AFC Leopards’ title chase suffers blow after Mathare United defeat
Gor Mahia coach Charles Akonnor commends team’s maturity after beating Ulinzi Stars
A key factor in the victory was the team’s ability to adjust as the game progressed, particularly after the interval. Akonnor observed that the team improved with time.
“I think we were very sound more than the opponent. In the first half, it was on and off, but in the second half, we were very, very smart. We were aggressive, we were very compact, and we were waiting for the moment to attack, and we did that.
Today we didn’t do too much from the wider areas, but as a matter of fact, we went through the middle and then to the wider areas and it worked very, very well for us.”
With the momentum firmly in their favor and the gap at the top widening, all eyes now turn to the next fixture as Gor Mahia prepares to face Shabana FC on Sunday at the Nyayo National Stadium.
