Gor Mahia star sets out way forward after Mashemeji Derby defeat
Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 09.12.25. | 13:01
The defeat was Gor’s third of the season, having previously fallen to Bidco United and APS Bomet.
Gor Mahia assistant captain Austin Odhiambo has urged his teammates- and the club’s supporters- to shift their focus to the next match following Sunday’s 1–0 defeat to arch-rivals AFC Leopards.
The loss left K’Ogalo fans disappointed, especially given the club’s dominance in the Mashemeji Derby over the past decade.
Gor Mahia struggled to impose themselves from kickoff, producing an uncharacteristically lacklustre performance that allowed Leopards to grow into the match.
Julius Masaba’s first-half strike proved decisive- and despite Gor’s improved efforts after the break- Ingwe held firm to secure victory and the bragging rights.
For AFC Leopards, the win offered much-needed relief after a run of three winless league matches.
Coach Fred Ambani had openly stated before the clash that his side needed to “arrest the rot,” and they delivered when it mattered most, moving to within two points of Gor Mahia and three behind league leaders Kenya Police FC, who sit top with 20 points.
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For Gor Mahia, it was a derby to forget, made worse by the fact that it came on the back of a 4–1 defeat to APS Bomet in the pre-derby fixture.
Odhiambo, a former Leopards player, was candid about the pain felt within the squad and among supporters, stressing the importance of bouncing back in their upcoming tie against Bandari.
“We will now focus on the next game; we move forward. I know the derby means a lot to the fans, and we are also hurting after losing, but we move forward together as a team and with the fans, and we will try to make them happy in the coming matches,” he said.
Reflecting on the defeat, Odhiambo pointed out that conceding early was something they had specifically set out to avoid, acknowledging that the early blow disrupted Gor’s rhythm and handed momentum to Leopards.
“We tried to avoid conceding early because we knew that if we let in an early goal, it would give them confidence, but unfortunately, they got that early goal, which disrupted our game to some extent,” he explained.
He added that the goal resulted from a collective lapse rather than an individual mistake.
“I think it happened because of a lack of teamwork. If we had pulled together, that would not have happened, but it was their day, and that is the outcome of the match. We respect it and congratulate them for the win.”
The defeat was Gor’s third of the season, having previously fallen to Bidco United and APS Bomet.
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