Assifuah the hero as Gor Mahia score late to end Murang'a Seal's 10-game unbeaten run

New signing Ebenezer Kofi Assifuah came off the bench to score a late winner for Gor Mahia, as they came from two goals down to complete a remarkable 3-2 comeback win over Murang’a Seal at Kasarani Stadium on Wednesday, 14 January.

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Ghanaian international Assifuah, who joined K’Ogalo during the mid-season transfer window, tapped in a low cross from Paul Ochuoga in the 81st minute to cap a dramatic afternoon that saw the record FKF Premier League champions return to the top of the standings.

Things did not look to be going Gor Mahia’s way in the first half, when Osborne Monday’s side jumped to a quick 2-0 lead inside the first 20 minutes.

Boasting of a 10-game unbeaten run coming to the game, Seal were on the ascendancy when skipper Joe Waithira slammed home the opener after only four minutes, before Francis Memusi doubled the visitors’ lead with an audacious lobbed finish over Gor Mahia keeper Gad Matthews in the 18th minute.

By that time, Gor Mahia looked down and out, but in true championship character, dug deep in a frenetic second half to spark a sensational turnaround.

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The hosts were gifted a goal just two minutes after the break when Seal goalkeeper Mustapha Oduor dropped a crossed ball straight into the feet of Felix Oluoch to stab home, before the enterprising Ochuoga forced in a quick equalizer two minutes later.

Seal’s resilience was later broken with only nine minutes left, when substitute Assifuah sneaked inside the box to make his debut all the more memorable.

With the win, Gor Mahia usurped fierce arch-rivals AFC Leopards to top the standings only on goal difference with 30 points, while Murang’a, who saw their long unbeaten run snapped, remained ninth on 21 points.

Match Report

To carry on with the ongoing trend of this season, all the talk that dominated this fixture was about whether Gor Mahia would fold under pressure and give AFC Leopards fans a reason to smile for being top of the table for yet another week.

Those questions seemed to be going the way Ingwe fans wanted, as Charles Akonnor's side, which perhaps surprisingly, had midfielder Enock Morisson on the bench, went down in double-quick time.

A long free-kick from the visitors in the fourth minute was all it took to trouble the Gor Mahia back-line, as the in-form Waithira fed off a loose clearance from Sylvester Owino to hammer a low finish past Matthews.

If that was not the start K'Ogalo needed, Seal made it worse when they scored 14 minutes later, and off a poor corner-kick routine by the hosts.

The sequence to Memusi's lob all came after Bryton Onyona had played a pass to Ochuoga to whip in a delivery, only for the right back to meet resistance from the first man.

Telvin Maina then colected the pieces with a long ball over the Gor Mahia high-line, and there was Memusi to blitz past Owino and lift over an advancing Matthews.

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Akonnor, from his bench, was visibly angered, but not even himself would have predicted a comeback was on the cards.

The Ghanaian tactician would have indeed thanked Seal keeper Oduor for gifting his side a way back, when he failed to claim a cross from the left and allowed Oluoch a way in.

©Gad Isaac

Two minutes later, that gaffe was punished big time, as Ochuoga sent his arrowed drive into the net, via a wicked deflection off Dennis Munyovi.

Given the luxury of his deep bench, Akonnor was able to explore some of his country-mates, and it was such so, that his newest piece was ready to make his mark.

After spurning two chances that he sent over the bar, there was little Assifuah would have done when Ochuoga burst from the right to square a pass in his way.

A touch of his left boot was all that the K'Ogalo faithful needed, as they broke their trend of losing games after conceding, and much so, shut the mouths of their rivals.

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