Gor Mahia’s bid to retain the FKF Premier League title suffered a crushing blow after they were held to a 1-1 draw by arch-rivals AFC Leopards in a fiercely contested Mashemeji Derby at the Raila Odinga Stadium in Homa Bay County.
Austin Odhiambo gave Gor Mahia the lead in the 31st minute with a well-taken goal, raising the hopes of K’Ogalo fans that they could close the gap on league leaders Police FC. But those hopes were short-lived as AFC Leopards’ Brian Wanyama equalised just five minutes after the restart, capitalising on defensive lapses in the Gor backline.
Despite dominating large spells of the first half, Gor Mahia failed to convert their possession into a second goal, and the draw leaves them stuck in second place with 55 points — six behind the in-form Police FC, who sit top with 61 points. Should Police defeat Shabana FC in their next match, they will be crowned FKF Premier League champions for the first time in history.
AFC Leopards remain in sixth place with 47 points, but their spirited performance against their bitter rivals earned them praise from fans and coach Thomas Trucha Ambani.
“Players mentioned slippery ground and missed chances but we’ve been working on creating those opportunities. Unfortunately, we didn’t convert,” said Ambani. “We had more movement and coordination today. If the fans had pushed us a bit more, maybe we’d have grabbed a win.”
A dejected Gor Mahia head coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno conceded that the league title was now out of reach.
“I don’t think there’s any other chance for us apart from the knockout games. The gap is widening. We’ll now shift focus to the Mozzart Bet Cup,” said Zico.
With only a couple of games left, the result means Gor Mahia must now watch from the sidelines as Police FC edge closer to a historic title win, while Leopards look to finish strong and build for next season.
