Revived Gor snap at Tusker’s heels

Gor Mahia’s victory and Tusker’s slip up at the weekend heated up the SportPesa Premier League title race that now looks increasingly likely to go down the wire.

The defending champions beat Chemelil Sugar 3-1 at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi while table leaders Tusker managed only one point following a 1-1 draw against Ushuru at the same venue. The result thus reduced Tusker's point difference at the summit of the league table to just five. Second-placed Gor have a game in hand.

Mathare United, who were seen as serious title contenders, lost 2-1 to Sony Sugar in Awendo, to surrender their third position to 2010 champions Ulinzi Stars who were emphatic 3-1 winners over fading Sofapaka.

Western Stima surfaced at fourth place following a slim 1-0 win over Nairobi City Stars.

Against Chemelil, Gor coach Marcelo Ferreira presented the perfect game plan, even though full back Eric “Marcelo” Ouma was converted to midfielder as Rwandan Abouba Sibomana took his preferred left back position. June signing Wellington Ochieng, standing in for suspended Karim Nizigiyimana, played at right back.

The sugar millers, who had won their last four games prior to this match, employed a more cautious, defensive strategy against the leagues' defending champions.

Amos Nondi proved a perfect replacement by scoring just 10 minutes after coming on.

“He is a good player. He is still young and has some growing up to do but it is encouraging to see him display such great skills right now. It is good that we have won. It shows that the fighting spirit is still intact but there is still a lot of pressure for us to keep winning the next games,” Ferreira said of Nondi after the match.

MAJOR STATEMENT

The 3-1 victory summed up Gor’s desire to lift the title, and it was a major statement for the 15-time champions after a three-match winless streak.

Meanwhile, Tusker coach Paul Nkata left the Nyayo Stadium disappointed and resigned to the notion that outside forces may have been at play in their two dropped points.

Nkata accused referee Andrew Juma of poor judgment in that match, saying that he was biased against them because he is the brother to Gor Mahia custodian Boniface Oluoch.

“Everybody knows that the referee is brother to Boniface Oluoch and there was obviously conflict of interest. It showed in the way he kept making unfair calls for our team,” he said in his post-match address.

It was an average performance from Tusker who come from behind against a team far inferior in quality to them and with far less to play for in the league.

There were no surprises at the second half of the table, and the relegations scrap now looks like it could be settled before the end of this month.

Bottom teams Sofapaka and Nairobi City Stars lost against Ulinzi Stars and Western Stima. Looking at their remaining fixtures, the future is bleak.