Kariobangi Sharks eye rare Gor Mahia scalp

What you need to know:

  • Former champions Tusker will come up against Chemelil Sugar at the Chemelil Sports Complex in the only other league match scheduled for this weekend.
  • All eyes will however be on the match involving the Gor and Sharks, which promises fireworks.

Football fans in the lakeside city of Kisumu have a mouth-watering match to look forward to on Saturday as defending champions Gor Mahia and domestic cup holders Kariobangi Sharks face off in a SportPesa Premier League tie at Moi Stadium.

Former champions Tusker will come up against Chemelil Sugar at the Chemelil Sports Complex in the only other league match scheduled for this weekend.

All eyes will however be on the match involving the Gor and Sharks, which promises fireworks.

It will be Gor’s second last local engagement before they tackle Moroccan side RS Berkane in the quarter-finals of the Caf Confederation Cup.

Over the last two years, K’Ogalo had formed a habit of beating Sharks and had done so in all their four past league encounters, but this record was shattered in December last year when Sharks registered a 1-0 victory in the league’s first leg.

Duke Abuya provided the goal of the day, and he is likely to star again as William Muluya looks to complete a double over the league champions for the first time in his career.

“It is tough playing almost two games every week due to the condensed schedule of games so there is really not much time to rectify the weak areas we identify. Right now however I have noticed that we need to get stronger psychologically and learn to defend our leads throughout the game,” said Muluya.

Apart from Abuya, Muluya will also rely on last year’s Most Valuable Player Erick Kapaito who has made a strong return from a long injury layoff scoring three goals in Sharks’ last four matches.

K’Ogalo on the other hand will be keen to avoid another shark attack, as a win will take them all the way to the summit of the SportPesa Premier League, a feat that has eluded them for three months now.

“I know when other teams face Gor Mahia, they give 150 per cent because they know they are playing against champions, so for us every game is tough and every game requires more than 100 per cent from every member of the playing unit,” said Gor coach Hassan Oktay. “Every game for us is always tough but my players know that if they want to achieve anything good, they must take every game seriously.”

Gor thumped Zoo Kericho 4-0 on Wednesday while Kariobangi Sharks were thumped 3-1 by Tusker at Ruaraka on the same day in the two team's last league assignments.