Sony stand between Gor and second trophy of the season
What you need to know:
- ‘Gattuso’ rallies the troops ahead of KPL Top 8 final at Moi Stadium
- Frank Nuttall’s league champions go into this fixture as clear favourites having claimed a double over the sugar millers in the league.
Fresh from bagging a third successive Kenyan Premier League title last weekend, Gor Mahia will Saturday evening shift focus to reclaiming the KPL Top 8 title when they face Sony Sugar in the final at the Moi Stadium in Kisumu.
At stake ahead of this eagerly anticipated fixture is a glittering trophy, a million shillings in prize money and bragging rights for an entire year - all reserved for the winning team.
Frank Nuttall’s league champions go into this fixture as clear favourites having claimed a double over the sugar millers in the league.
The club has thus far won the KPL title unbeaten, the season curtain-raising DSTV Super Cup, and reached the final of the regional Cecafa Kagame Cup.
It is perhaps with this impressive performances in mind that the side’s defensive midfielder Collins “Gattuso” Okoth sounded the war drums ahead of the clash. The Kenyan international on Friday told his club’s official website the players have trained their sights on creating more history this season by also bagging the Top 8 and GOtv Shield.
“Lifting all trophies on offer (on the domestic scene) will be good and a great history in Kenyan football because no team ever achieved such milestone before,” Okoth said.
VASTLY IMPROVED SIDE
Nuttall, whose side made it to the final of this competition by eliminating Muhoroni Youth and holders Tusker FC in the quarters and semis respectively, will however have to be wary of a vastly improved Sony who will be seeking their first title since 2006.
The Awendo-based sugar millers had an impressive second leg league campaign under the tutelage of rookie coach Salim Babu.
It, is however the manner in which the sugar belt side saw off Sofapaka 5-3 on aggregate in the semi-final of this tournament that will have handed Nuttall one or two issues to think about. “It is one match, 90 minutes... anything can and will happen, we need to fight and believe, that’s all,” Babu, a former Sony Sugar player said after that triumph over the Sofapaka on Wednesday.
A straight penalty shoot-out will determine the winner of this tournament - which is a preserve of clubs that finish the top flight league season in the first eight positions - if the scores remain level at fulltime.
