The record Kenyan champions needed a 19th-minute goal courtesy of midfielder Alpha Onyango to defeat the Kakamega-based side and claim maximum points. Onyango, who started as the captain following the benching of Austin Odhiambo, beat Homeboyz keeper Simon Masaka with a superb effort.
Since losing against promoted side APS Bomet, Gor Mahia had gone for two straight matches without registering victory. The shocking 4-1 defeat against APS Bomet was followed by a 1-0 Mashemeji derby defeat against rivals AFC Leopards.
Gor Mahia travelled to Mombasa, where they were forced to come from behind to secure a 1-1 draw against struggling Bandari FC. The Homeboyz game was a must-win for Ghanaian coach Charles Akonnor, who faced criticism from the fans after the draw against the Dockers.
Gor will not win league 'if they play like this’
Speaking exclusively to Flashscore after the game, Shimanyula without mincing words casted doubt on Gor Mahia’s abilities to reclaim the Premier League crown from Kenya Police FC, saying they had displayed one of their worst games which was aided by the decision to defend the one goal.
“Shame, very shameful for a respected team like Gor Mahia to play like they did,” Shimanyula told Flashscore. “I was not anticipating such a kind of performance from Gor Mahia, that was a poor display, with a lot of players behind the ball.”
Shimanyula added: “Gor Mahia scored, and decided to park the bus. They never played after scoring. A goal scored in the 19th minute and you defend the rest of the minutes as if life depended on it, is a very unfortunate scenario. This is not the Gor Mahia I have known for many years.
“I know even Gor Mahia fans were not happy with the team’s performance at the final whistle, I could hear murmurs around the stadium, even though they won. It shows you how poor Gor Mahia are this season, and the only way for them to claim points was to play defensively.”
“If this is how they want to play for the rest of the season, I can assure Gor Mahia will not win the league, they will not go anywhere. If Gor Mahia can score one goal and defend, what will the struggling teams in the league do, what will the bottom placed teams do?
“We did all we could to get back into the game but they brought their bus and parked it behind the goal post. It was difficult, not alone Homeboyz, any other team could not have scored, even if you brought Arsenal to play in such conditions, they wouldn’t have scored.”
Gor Mahia opened up two point lead
Shimanyula added: “It is not the end of the league, we still have a lot of matches to play, and we still have a second round fixture against them (Gor Mahia). We will definitely earn revenge, we will show them how football is played, we will beat them, and there is no doubt about that.”
Asked whether the defeat dented their hopes to win their first ever Premier League title at the end of the season, Shimanyula responded: “We are still in the title race, we only lost and dropped to sixth position, but if you look at the teams above us they have a point or two ahead of us.
“Gor Mahia are sitting top with two points, which is not a huge gap to worry about. We are still in the race. The league is a marathon, we now need to work, rectify mistakes, and get going in our next assignment. The players must focus and forget what they went through against Gor Mahia.”
Shimanyula concluded: “This season we came with the main aim of winning the title, we have already enjoyed a good start, we have been leading the log for most parts of the season, and we are going to return to the top soon, it is just a matter of time.”
The win enabled Gor Mahia to open a two point lead at the summit of the 18-team Premier League table with 23 points from 12 matches. Gor Mahia have managed seven wins, two draws, and lost three.
Meanwhile, Homeboyz, who went into the game sitting second, dropped up to sixth with 20 points from 13 matches, They have managed five wins, five draws, and lost three times.
