Gor Mahia winger Shariff Musa has attributed the team’s blistering start to the CECAFA Kagame Cup campaign to a rapidly growing squad harmony, following their 5-0 demolition of Rwandan champions APR FC on Friday night.
K’Ogalo put on a clinical performance at a packed Amahoro Stadium upsetting the home crowd with a ruthless attacking performance.
While goals from Michael Kibwage, Patrick Essombe, Paul Okoth, Lesley Otieno, and Ebenezer Assifuah grabbed the headlines, it was Musa’s devastating pace and balance out wide that repeatedly unlocked the military side’s defense and got massive applause.
Musa was particularly instrumental in the fourth goal of the evening, latching onto a release from new signing Ebenezer Ocran, bursting down the left flank, and carving open the APR backline to lay a perfect cutback on a plate for debutant Lesley Otieno.
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The speedy winger, who proved to be a constant menace to the APR backline, credited the flawless performance to the chemistry embedded within the squad.
“I think it’s about the consistency of being on the field together and the chemistry among the players,” Musa noted post-match.
“We know each other well, so most of the time, we know exactly who is supposed to be in which position. The moment I receive the ball, I just have to do my job, bring something to the team, and then whoever the ball falls to next has to do his job. I think it all comes down to the chemistry; we know each other well.”
With a grueling campaign on the horizon that features domestic title defenses and a return to the CAF Champions League, Akonnor emphasized that heavy pre-season rotation and new additions are a response to the burnout the team suffered at the tail end of last season.
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To prevent a repeat of that fatigue, the club has been aggressive in the transfer window, securing the signatures of high-profile forwards Hansel Ochieng’ and Paul Okoth,who marked his debut with a goal alongside tying down forward Ebenezer Assifuah to a contract extension.
“Last season, we relied a lot on certain players, and toward the end of the season, we realized that they were tired,” the tactician concluded.
“Some of them were not used to the intensity and number of games they had played, so it was necessary for us to strengthen the team. It’s vital that we have a very strong squad that we can rely on.”
With the five-goal margin sending a scary warning to the rest of the tournament field, Gor Mahia sit firmly atop Group A.
However, they will be tested in their next fixture on Monday, July 27, when they clash with Ugandan champions Vipers SC in an encounter that could decide who gains complete control of the group.
Following the Vipers test, K’Ogalo will round out their pool assignments on Thursday, July 30, against Djiboutian outfit FC Garde Républicaine, aiming to finalize their qualification path and keep their bid to break a 41-year regional title drought squarely on track.