"They think I’m afraid of being fired. If they keep talking behind my back, I will expose them and leave.”
That was warning delivered by Gor Mahia’s head coach, Charles Akonnor on Thursday in Kigali where the club is competing in 2026 Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) Club Championships.
The 50-year-old Ghanaian says he is tired of what he describes as “a smear campaign orchestrated by certain individuals within the club.”
Gor Mahia head coach Charles Akonnor during an interview with the Daily Nation in Nairobi on November 5, 2025.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
The former coach of top Ghanaian league side Asante Kotoko has warned that he will no longer tolerate the smear campaign directed at him.
Akonnor made the remarks as Gor Mahia prepared for their final Group ‘A’ match of the 2026 Cecafa Kagame Cup against Djiboutian club CF Garde Republicaine/SIAF later on Thursday.
Speaking to Nation Sports from Rwanda, the Ghanaian coach questioned why some people within the club were working against him, despite him having guided Gor Mahia to the Football Kenya Federation Premier League title last season, and is currently overseeing the club’s preparations for the new campaign.
“We lost only one match, against Vipers SC, and immediately they started speaking badly about me. I am not afraid of being dismissed, and if they try it again, I will expose them publicly and leave,” he said.
“You can’t work in an environment where some people are constantly talking behind your back and trying to undermine you.”
The defeat came after Gor Mahia’s stunning 5-0 victory over Rwandan champions APR in their opening Group A match, which was attended by Rwanda’s president and tournament’s patron, Paul Kagame.
Gor Mahia coach Charles Akonnor celebrates with the Football Kenya Federation Premier League trophy at Nyayo National Stadium on May 31, 2026.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
“I don’t usually talk about such matters, nor do I want to dwell on them. However, I have already informed the club chairman about the situation. Those spreading rumours about me and trying to push me out should let me focus on building the team for the new season and preparing for the CAF Champions League,” he added.
The coach was heavily criticised online by a section of fans for making many changes to the club’s starting line-up in their 1-0 loss against Vipers FC. The team’s performance against the Ugandan champions also failed to impress some supporters.
Akonnor, who is in his second season at Gor, also attracted criticism after stating that he was competing in Cecafa Kagame Cup to prepare the team for the new season, rather than to win the tournament.
Sources confided in Nation Sport that a senior club official at the club is pushing for Akonnor’s dismissal in favour of another foreign coach to lead Gor Mahia in next season’s CAF Champions League and FKF Premier League campaign.
The official has orchestrated an online campaign and reportedly rallied some fans in support of this idea.
Victory over CF Garde Republicaine/SIAF would see Gor Mahia qualify for the quarter-finals, as they continue their quest to end their 41-year wait for the regional title.
