Gor Mahia head coach reveals his excitement despite loss to Simba SC
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Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 11.09.25. | 20:51
Hamza Mohammed opened the scoring for Simba early in the first half, before Steven Mukwala added a second soon after the restart
Gor Mahia head coach Charles Akonnor says there were plenty of positives to take from his side’s 2-0 defeat to Tanzanian giants Simba SC on Wednesday night at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
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The match was part of the annual Simba Day celebrations and was played in front of a capacity crowd.
Hamza Mohammed opened the scoring for Simba early in the first half, before Steven Mukwala added a second soon after the restart.
Despite the goals, Gor showed resilience in the second half, pushing hard against one of Africa’s most formidable clubs. Both teams used the clash as preparation for the upcoming season.
Akonnor, who also fielded several players fresh from Kenya’s international duty against Seychelles on Tuesday, said the contest was a valuable test against quality opposition.
It was also the Ghanaian tactician’s first time leading K’Ogalo against a non-Kenyan opponent since taking charge.
“We did very well. We were able to express ourselves in terms of how we want to play, but we lacked a little bit of understanding in defending. The first goal came from an individual error, but overall, we played well.
I was so excited about the second half. The players we brought in showed a lot of qualities we want going forward, and it gives us a fair idea of our squad,” he said.
The coach admitted that his previous friendlies against local sides had not provided a proper measure of his team’s strength, but the Simba test gave him a clearer picture.
“We have played many friendly games, but most of them were against low-level teams. This, however, was a high-standard game.
It gave us a good opportunity to assess our players, and hopefully, going forward, we will improve and start winning matches.”
Akonnor also praised Simba for their quality and intensity, noting how his side struggled in the first half before adjusting their approach.
“Simba is a very good team. They know how to play, and in the first half, we struggled with their mobility. We wanted to press high, but we couldn’t cope with their movement.
We decided to change our style in the second half, and we were much better. I’m so impressed with Simba and all they have achieved.
They reached the CAF Confederation Cup final last season, and that shows they are doing a lot of things right.”
Gor returned to Nairobi on Thursday morning and will now resume preparations for their opening league fixture against Bidco United.
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