Ivorian flop Guikan leaves Liverpool-bound Gor Mahia
Gor Mahia assistant coach Zedekiah Otieno gestures during a training session on October 31, 2018 at Camp Toyoyo ground ahead of their friendly match against Everton in Liverpool, United Kingdom on November 6. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
What you need to know:
- 26 players in touring party, four chasing vital travel documents.
- K’Ogalo scheduled to play English side Everton on Tuesday at Goodison Park.
- Gor are scheduled to play The Toffees on Tuesday at Goodison Park in an historic encounter.
Kenyan champions Gor Mahia depart for England Friday morning for their much anticipated friendly match against nine-time English champions Everton without their Ivorian striker Ephrem Guikan.
Gor are scheduled to play The Toffees on Tuesday at Goodison Park in an historic encounter.
The 24-year-old Guikan joined Gor at the start of the season from Mauritius giants AS Port Louis, scoring 13 goals in all competitions. “We will let you know once the striker we are targeting jets in,” Gor team manager Jolawi Obondo said on Wednesday, a clear indication K’Ogalo are earnestly searching for a replacement.
“We are also planning to loan out four players now that the federation adopted a new rule that permits academy players to feature for the senior team and vice versa. We tend to utilise fully our youth team,” he added.
The team has already signed four players in Pascal Ogweno (Kariobangi Sharks), Kenneth Muguna, who returns from Albanian side KF Tirana, Ugandan Shaffik Batambuze from Tanzanian side Singida United and Chrispine Ogendo from Kenyatta University.
Obondo further revealed that a total of 26 players will travel to Liverpool, England but by Wednesday, only 22 had managed to secure their travelling visas.
“We are hopeful the foreign players, that’s Karim Nizigiyimana, Jacques Tuyisenge, Francis Mustafa and Batambuze will secure theirs on Thursday,” offered Obondo.
There will be no place in the tour party for utility player Innocent Wafula and the new signings apart from Batambuze.
Gor, who resumed training last week under assistant coach Zedekiah “Zico” Otieno, are scheduled to watch the English Premier League clash between hosts Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday at Goodison Park.
“We’ve been working on our fitness levels after coming back from recess and the progress is good,” Otieno said after a two-hour training session at Camp Toyoyo grounds.
“We’re confident we will do a good job. This is just a game of football like any other despite the fact that Everton are a good team with players who were at the World Cup,” added Otieno.
