Gor keen to write history at Goodison Park
Gor Mahia players at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi moments before they departed for England on November 2, 2018. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The high-profile friendly match pits hosts, Everton Football Club who have won the English Premier League (EPL) title on nine occasions against 17-time Kenyan champions Gor Mahia
- Silva also challenged Gor Mahia to display their 'A' game, suggesting that the match could offer the players opportunities to play in the more established leagues
- Tuyisenge will likely come up against Colombian defender Yerry Mina, Everton's Sh6 billion acquisition from Barcelona in August
The 40,000-seater Goodison Park Stadium in Liverpool, located about 300km from London, will Tuesday play host to a historic fixture involving a Kenyan Premier League club.
The high-profile friendly match pits hosts, Everton Football Club who have won the English Premier League (EPL) title on nine occasions against 17-time Kenyan champions Gor Mahia.
The match will be aired live on NTV from 10pm, with Gor Mahia patron Raila Odinga, himself an ardent football fan, among the thousands of fans in attendance. The winning team will be crowned SportPesa Trophy champions.
Speaking to the media moments after his team easily defeated Brighton 3-1 in a league match on Saturday, Everton coach Marco Silva hinted that he will field his strongest team available despite a tough match against Chelsea on Saturday.
The Toffees are currently placed ninth in the EPL standings after 11 rounds of matches. Silva also challenged Gor Mahia to display their 'A' game, suggesting that the match could offer the players opportunities to play in the more established leagues.
He said: "What we know about Gor Mahia is that this is an important moment for them because they will be the first African club to play here. I expect a very good match that will enable us see our different ways of playing and we are ready for everything."
Gor Mahia's Rwandan forward Jacques Tuyisenge is expected to start in attack for Gor following his impressive form in the just-concluded SportPesa Premier League season.
"I have never gone into a match thinking it will be hard to win because that feeling immediately makes the task twice as difficult," said Tuyisenge, who also scored in Gor’s 2-1 defeat to Everton in a friendly last year.
Tuyisenge will likely come up against Colombian defender Yerry Mina, Everton's Sh6 billion acquisition from Barcelona in August following an impressive outing at the 2018 Fifa World Cup where he scored three goals.
English forward Theo Walcott, Irishman Seamus Coleman, Sandro Ramirez and former Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin are also expected to feature for Everton. Having consistently conquered the local and regional front in recent times, this will be yet another opportunity for Gor Mahia players to introduce themselves at the international stage.
Gor coach Dylan Kerr is expected to start with his strongest side featuring Kenya international goalkeeper Boniface Oluoch between the posts. Philemon Otieno, captain Harun Shakava and new signing Shafik Batambuze are expected to play prominent roles in defence, with Ernest Wendo and Humphrey Mieno taking charge of the midfield.
This responsibility includes feeding balls to the ever reliable Tuyisenge in attack to provide the goals.
Gor Mahia, who arrived in England on Friday, earned the right to compete against Everton after beating Tanzania's Simba 2-0 in the eight team SportPesa Super Cup held in Nakuru in July.
