Nairobi, Kenya – Kenyan football giants Gor Mahia booked their place in the finals of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Cup after edging out Murang’a Seal 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 stalemate in regular time at Dandora Stadium on Sunday.
The hard-fought victory was a testament to Gor Mahia’s resilience, as they clawed back from an early deficit to force penalties and eventually triumph in dramatic fashion.
Murang’a Seal stunned the crowd early on when forward Michael Owen found the net in the fifth minute with a poacher’s finish that caught Gor’s backline flat-footed. The early goal energized Seal, who dominated proceedings throughout the first half, creating several scoring chances that went begging.
Gor Mahia regrouped at halftime and came back with renewed purpose. Their efforts bore fruit in the 53rd minute when Bryson Wangai rose to meet a well-delivered cross with a glancing header that beat the Seal goalkeeper and leveled the score.
Ten minutes later, Alpha Onyango nearly turned the game on its head with a thunderous 20-yard strike that beat the keeper, but his effort was ruled out after an offside call in the buildup. Murang’a Seal responded emphatically in the 72nd minute when Wilson Kamau restored their lead, only for Gor to level matters once again minutes later, forcing the game into a penalty shootout.
In the end, it was Gor Mahia who held their nerve better in the shootout, converting five of their attempts to Seal’s four. The win sees the record FKF Cup winners book yet another ticket to the final, keeping their hopes alive for silverware this season.
Speaking after the match, Gor Mahia head coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno praised his team’s spirit and ability to fight back under pressure.
“We played our hearts out. We did everything we could, but minor defensive and goalkeeping blunders almost did us in. I’m glad we eventually managed to secure a victory,” Otieno said.
His opposite number, Yusuf Chippo, was left ruing missed chances and what could have been.
“I strongly feel we were the better side throughout the match and we deserved better results. We dominated play in the first half but slackened a little bit in the second. That gave our opponents the opportunity to get back into the match,” Chippo lamented.
Mara Sugar Shock Kenya Police in Thriller
In the day’s earlier FKF Cup quarterfinal at the same venue, Mara Sugar produced a stunning upset by eliminating defending champions Kenya Police FC via a dramatic 9-8 penalty shootout win after the game ended 1-1 in regulation time.
Mara Sugar came into the game as underdogs but took the match to Police from the onset. Midfielder Eric Zakayo tested Police custodian Job Ochieng with a long-range effort in the first minute, setting the tone for a high-octane affair. Their early dominance paid off in the 11th minute when Dennis Cheruiyot found the back of the net with a deflected free kick that left the keeper stranded.
Police responded in the 31st minute through Brian Okoth, who tapped in the equalizer following sustained pressure.
Despite a tense second half filled with end-to-end action, neither side could find a breakthrough in regulation time. The match then went into penalties, where Mara’s goalkeeper Evans Omondi emerged as the hero—pulling off two decisive saves and stepping up to score the winning penalty himself.
The win marks a historic moment for Mara Sugar, who now progress to the FKF Cup semifinals for the first time.
Mara Sugar will now face Nairobi United in the semifinals on Wednesday, while Gor Mahia await the winner of the other semifinal to determine their opponent in the final showdown.
