Ngala welcomes “healthy KPL competition” after Gor loss

Gor Mahia’s Saturday humiliating loss to the 2009 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions will derail the quest to defend their title, club’s Deputy Secretary General has said.

A 3-1 loss to John Baraza’s men in Narok meant only three points separate Gor with a fast chasing Tusker FC on the KPL summit, but Ngala is unperturbed by the recent development.

According to Ngala, head coach Steve Pollack had cautioned it was not going to be a walk in the park against a vastly rejuvenated Sofapaka.

‘’It was just a bad day in office. Our coach had warned us to beware of the wounded cats who had suffered a 2-1 loss in our hands in Kisumu just ten days prior to the Narok clash,’’ said Ngala.

Gor had on January 29 beaten Sofapaka 2-1 in Kisumu, and Ngala says gave the ‘’Batoto ba Mungu’’ a good platform to prepare for the rematch at home.

However, Ngala opines the loss is a positive gesture in the bigger picture of competitiveness in the league that has been dominated by Gor who have won the last three titles in a row.

‘’We are happy with the competition we are facing from Tusker and Kakamega Homeboyz. That is the sweetness of winning the league, when you have really been made to work for it. We don’t want to be like English side Liverpool who have sprinted far much ahead of the rest in the EPL,” explained Ngala.

Homeboyz, who are now third on 41 points, also beat Gor 2-1 in January, with Gor showing a trend of inconsistency while the emerging strong rivals continue to surge.

Elephant in the room

On the other hand, Ngala has admitted financial crisis facing the club remains the elephant in their room, as they are yet to clear salary and allowance arrears owed to players.

‘’The boys have promised us they will not have any go slow due to payment issues. We are also looking into ways of addressing the scenario and ensure they are not in trouble with their landlords. Basically, we are managing this situation by providing their basics but it remains a big issue. It has however nothing to do with Saturday’s loss,’’ averred the experienced football administrator.

Gor Mahia next face Western Stima in Kisumu this Wednesday beginning 3pm, hoping to win and sustain their lead.

Meanwhile, Bandari FC, who are yet to win since the return of veteran coach Twahir Muhidin, will be at Mbaraki hosting KCB, in the only other KPL match of the day.