Gor tear Mathare United apart
What you need to know:
- Cup champions too hot for Premier League holders in pre-season match
Gor Mahia defeated Mathare United 3-0 on Saturday at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, to lift this year’s Super Cup trophy.
Gor’s talisman, Habil Otieno, scored a goal in each half, with Ben Gemet adding the third to lead their side to the inaugural trophy.
Mathare United’s coach, Francis Kimanzi, fielded a second-string team and the move backfired as his side was ran over by the agile Gor Mahia side.
“It was a very enjoyable match to watch and you could see the game flow, which has been much of our undoing,” said Gor’s coach, James Siang’a.
United dominated the first half but could not make it pay with Gor twice coming close to scoring.
However United almost took the lead in the fifth minute with Paul Ambembo heading narrowly over the bar following a corner from Kevin Atto.
Otieno should have put Gor ahead seven minutes later. He homed in on goal after Zablon Otieno split the offside trap with a superb ball over the top.
However, with only Martin Musalia to beat at the Mathare’s goal, Otieno scuffed a shot off his shins wide of the post.
George Odhiambo again picked out Otieno in the 14th minute and he chipped the ball over Musalia, for his side’s first goal.
Then a minute later Christopher Wekesa headed off-target at the back post after a cross from Zablon Otieno. Gor continued to dictate the pace and Habil Otieno slipped the ball to Wekesa in the 30th minute - but his effort went wide of the post.
Mathare again found themselves on the back foot a minute later when Andrew Oyombe blocked a shot from Odhiambo.
Mathare United’s Titus Mulama was beginning to see a lot of the ball and he rattled in a 20-yard shot in the 39th minute that finished narrowly wide of the post.
Stepped up tempo
In the second half, Odhimabo couldn’t control a pass from the left flank, courtesy of Wekesa, but Habil did and struck with precision one minute after restart for his second goal and the club’s as well.
This stepped up the game’s tempo and Elisha Ochieno’s goal bound header cleared to safety by Lloyd Wahome.
Mathare United’s near moment of glory came when Ambembo drove a long shot and Musalia diverted the ball for a corner as Innocent Mutiso waited to pounce on any mistake.
Mathare continued to sweep forward in search of a goal and this was an anxious time for the slum-boys.
Vincent Okello should have pulled one back in the 85th minute but somehow his shot went wide.