- How Gor Mahia edged past Murang’a Seal on Sunday, 17 May at Nyayo Stadium.
- Patience was the key to unlocking the stubborn Muranga SEAL defence.
- Gor Mahia will win their 22nd league title if they beat Mara Sugar this weekend.
Gor Mahia head coach Charles Kwabla Akonnor has revealed that patience was the key to unlocking a stubborn Murang’a Seal side, guiding K’Ogalo to a pivotal 3-1 victory at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The victory moved the league leaders to 68 points—re-establishing a commanding four-point cushion over bitter rivals AFC Leopards with just two matches remaining in the 2025–26 Sportpesa League season.
Entering the weekend, the pressure on Gor Mahia was immense. A day prior, second-placed Ingwe had edged Kakamega Homeboyz 2-1, temporarily cutting Akonnor’s lead at the summit to a solitary point.
READ MORE: Gor Mahia move closer to SportPesa League title after beating Murang’a SEAL to go 4 points clear
How Gor Mahia edged past Murang’a Seal
Speaking after Sunday’s match, the veteran Ghanaian tactician admitted that his primary job ahead of kickoff was managing his squad’s psychological state to prevent them from cracking under the pressure.
“It was very important for us to win. We knew of the opponent, what they can do as playing team, you know. They like to have the ball and play and possess, so we were not too worried.
What we were worried about of how to be compact and press on, press them. We started very well in the first half but we gave them a goal you know, and it was a good goal though.”
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The former Black Stars captain noted that the halftime talk was important in reigniting their spark.
“When we went through the recess, we were able to talk to them, prepare their mind, the mental toughness and to be aware. And to be honest with you, before this match, you know, AFC Leopards closed the gap to one point.
And if you’re not careful, if you have a players who are not really strong mentally, they could give up, you know what I mean? They were composed. We spoke to them, mentally they were ready, and, and at the end of the day, they were able to deliver and we are very, very proud of them. We are happy. We are also happy with our fans who, who came in numbers to support us.”
Gor had started brightly, breaking the deadlock in the 18th minute.
Shariff Musa teed up Samuel Kapen, who skillfully rounded Murang’a Seal goalkeeper Boniface Ngamau to slot home. However, the visitors struck back in the 36th minute when Joe Waithira fired past Byrne Omondi following a long-ball delivery, sending the sides into the locker rooms deadlocked at 1-1.
The halftime adjustments bore immediate fruit. In the 52nd minute, a trademark Kapen long throw-in caused chaos in the Seal penalty box, allowing the electric Shariff Musa to pounce and rifle a first-time finish into the bottom right corner, restoring the lead.
With Murang’a Seal pushing bodies forward for another equalizer, Akonnor pulled his definitive chess move in the 66th minute, introducing Ghanaian forward Ebenezer Assifuah for Patrick Essombe. Just ten minutes later, Assifuah put the game to bed, converting a rapid transition to make it 3-1.
The strike marked Assifuah’s eighth goal of the campaign and incredibly, his seventh scored coming off the bench since arriving in January. However, the triumph was bittersweet, as the star man had to be withdrawn later in the half due to an injury concern.
Addressing the media regarding Assifuah’s late substitution and the strategy behind managing his playing time, Akonnor explained:
“I’m not aware of the injury, the state of the injury, and so when we get back, we, we will know. But we are managing him, you know. Assifuah is a very intelligent player, experienced player, and we have to manage his strength.
You know, he can play 90 minutes, don’t get it wrong. But if we have people who can really run the defenders, run the opponent, and he can come in with experience and score a goal, I think it is a good way.
He has shown it, he has proven it that he can do that. Sometimes he wants to start but we calm him down. We, we also want to give chances to other guys. So it’s been, it’s been very, very good.”
A victory this coming weekend against Mara Sugar will officially secure the 22nd title for the record champions regardless of what Leopards do in their respective fixture.
