Gor Mahia v Simba: Who will go to Goodison Park?

The team to travel to Goodison Park in Liverpool next month will be known on Sunday when defending champions Gor Mahia tackle Simba from Tanzania in the SportPesa Super Cup final at Afraha Stadium, Nakuru.

The winners will also pocket Sh3million in prize money.

The one million dollar question that the many football fans from Kenya and Tanzania are asking as the clock ticks away towards the eagerly anticipated clash from 3.15pm is who between K’Ogalo and Simba will blink first?

The duel at the 20,000-seater stadium could go either way but you would feel the Kenyan champions have the edge over their Tanzanian counterparts by virtue of the fact that they are playing at home.

Gor Mahia, who won the first edition of the cup in Dar es Salaam this time last year, and booked a ticket to play English Premier League side Everton, commands one of the most fanatic football following in the region.

Their win could as well see them carry the bragging rights of the football giant in the region.

Simba, who recently won the Tanzanian championship for the 27th time, are equally adored by their fans who are expected to paint Afraha Stadium red with their team colours.

And if both sides live up to their billing and hopefully the sky remains clear, then football fans should expect a fantastic and exciting game.

“It’s going to be lively match if it doesn’t rain. I have watched the two sides and fans should expect a Sunday football treat,” said former Nigeria and Everton FC player Yakubu Aiyegbeni.

But if the current Gor Mahia form is anything to go by then, Simba might not find a place to hide at Afraha as marauding Gor strikers come calling to score early goals.

The razor sharp Gor Mahia striking line up led top scorer in the tournament Meddie Kagere who has shook the net three times, Jacques Tuiyesenge and George “Blackberry” Odhiambo is capable of dismantling any defence on a good day.

'DOUBLE EDGED SWORD'

And as they head to their second final, it is as if Gor has a double edged sword to slay the unpredictable lion from Dar es Salaam.

Gor coach Dylan Kerr is a former Simba tactician and will surely have some inside information on the club he quit in a huff.

Gor assistant coach Zedekiah “Zico” Otieno steered Gor Mahia to the inaugural Super Cup title in Dar es Salaam.

“It would be my joy to win the cup on home soil and book a ticket to go to England,” said Otieno.

Interestingly, the two sides qualified for the final in contrasting styles.

Gor won all their two matches inside 90 minutes. They sunk the hapless Jeshi La Kujenga Uchumi (JKU) from Zanzibar 3-0 in their opening quarter-final match and went on to beat a physical Singida 2-0 in the last four.

Simba won all their two matches via penalty kicks against Kariobangi Sharks (3-2) and Homeboyz 5-4 after identical 0-0 results in regulation time.

In simple words, they have failed to score a single goal in 180 minutes of regulation time.

'WANT TO GO TO ENGLAND'

It is against this background they have vowed to prove that they indeed carried their scoring boots when they test the might of the Kenyan champions.

“Its true in the two matches we have not scored a goal in the regulation time. However, that is now history. We are focused on scoring our first goal and win the match,” warned Simba assistant coach Masoud Juma.

He said he has 17 players in the camp led by captain Hussein Mohammed, Jonas Mkude, Harun Niyonzima, Juma Rashid, Erustus Nyoni and Moses Kitandu are in good shape. 

But it is the possibility of making a lifetime trip to England that might see Simba roar and display their true colours.

"Prize money aside. I want, as a coach, to go to England. I am so eager to visit the land of the Queen and my boys are equally excited and have promised to play until the last drop of the sweat in their body drops down,” said Juma.

Gor Mahia coach Kerr was equally enthusiastic.

“I have told the boys since the tournament began last Sunday that our focus is Goodison Park. When they go to the pitch tomorrow (Sunday) they know very well that is what I have been singing to them daily like the Kenyan national anthem. It has been ringing in their head and hopefully it will translate into goals and a win,” said the Englishman.