FKF-PL: ‘Zico’ confident of turning Gor Mahia’s fortunes

Gor Mahia acting coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno has credited the team’s 1-0 loss to Kenya Police last Saturday for sparking their resurgence, culminating in Wednesday’s commanding 3-0 victory over Ulinzi Stars at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos.

Earlier at the same venue, Kenya Police edged FC Talanta 1-0 to climb to third place in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) standings.

“After the loss against Kenya Police, we had no other choice but to win this game. This was a match where we came under a lot of pressure, having not won in the last three matches,” said Otieno.

“The players showed strong character, engaged the opponents well, created goal-scoring opportunities, and I’m happy we won. However, we need to win as many matches as possible moving forward,” he added.

Samuel Kapen and Rooney Onyango scored in the first half, while Austin Odhiambo added a third via a penalty in the second half.

The victory eased the pressure on Otieno, who has faced criticism from fans following a string of poor results, including a 1-0 loss to Kenya Police, a 1-1 draw against Shabana, and a 1-0 defeat to Bidco United.

The match marked Otieno’s first post-match press conference in weeks after previously avoiding the spotlight due to mounting fan frustrations.

Following the win, Gor Mahia now sit fifth on the league table with 21 points from 13 matches, four points behind leaders KCB, who have played one more game.

Ulinzi Stars, meanwhile, continue their dismal run, having only managed two wins this season. The soldiers are second from the bottom with 13 points from 14 matches, raising concerns about their survival in the league.

In the earlier fixture, Kenya Police secured their fifth consecutive win under new coach Etienne Ndayiragije, who took over on November 29. Alvin Mang’eni’s 67th-minute goal, assisted by Baraka Badi, sealed the victory, bringing Kenya Police to 23 points with a game in hand.