Like Fish to Water - Gor Mahia vs Bandari Through the Years

On November 12 1995, Gor Mahia travelled to Mombasa to face Bandari in their final game of the season. Gor Mahia led the league but Kenya Breweries (now Tusker) were just a point behind them and waiting to pounce on the league title should Gor Mahia fall to Bandari. There was bad blood between Gor Mahia and Bandari as earlier in the year, a game between the two in the Moi Golden Cup had to be abandoned in Mombasa in bizarre circumstances and awarded to Gor Mahia after several weeks on tussling. Goals from Tom Ochieng, Pius Wamaya and Steve Odiaga settled the scores as Gor claimed their 12th league title before settling for a 18 year wait for their next title.

Bandari has another association with Gor Mahia success. In 1984 CAF had banned Gor Mahia for 3 years following the infamous fiasco in Egypt. With AFC Leopards having dethroned Gor Mahia from the league in 1986, their route back to continental football was through the Moi Golden Cup, the newly relaunched FA cup. Standing on their way in the finals was Bandari who gave them a hard time before Sammy Onyango Jogoo's late strike sealed the win. Of course Gor was to go ahead and win the trophy.

Since then Gor Mahia has played Bandari 31 times in the league. We have tracked down all the results of this fixture and Gor Mahia generally had it easy, like fish taking to water. KÓgalo has won 15, lost 5 and drawn 11, in the process scoring 32 goals and conceeding 15.The surprise top scorer in this fixture for Gor Mahia is Godfrey Walusimbi who has scored three times while for Bandari it is Ambrose Ayoyi who has also scored three times. The two of them are also the only players to score a brace in this fixture while no player has managed a hattrick. The biggest winning margin is 4-0 by Gor Mahia on 15 February 1997, 3-0 by Bandari on 20 April 1991 and 3-0 by Gor Mahia on 12 November 19995.

Walusimbi in action against Bandari

Pic: http://www.soka.co.ke/

As Gor Mahia matches towards their 16th league title, they start as favourites to win this weekend's match. With George Odhiambo in fine form, he could join the Walusimbi and Ambrose Ayoyi in the 3 goal club for this fixture as he has already score 2 goals (2009/ 2016). For Bandari, it has been six matches against Gor Mahia since their last win (2-1 on 30 March 2014) and will be hoping to break this streak.

The Curse of the New Boys - Hunting the Sharks

The Kenya Premier League is finally back after a delayed start orchastrated by the tussle over the number of teams to participate in the league and the club licensing fiasco. Gor Mahia has been drawn to play debutants Kariobangi Sharks in Thika and the Green Army will be expecting nothing short of a victory. The team has strengthened, notably in the midfield where it was felt that the departure of Ugandan midfield kingpin Khalid Aucho mid last season played a big role in derailing their quest for an unprecendented fourth consecutive league title. Aided by the fact that they will be playing a promoted team will no doubt add to a feeling of optimism.

But wait a second, when did Gor Mahia last win a match in their first encounter with a promoted team? Last year we beat newly promoted Kakamega Homeboyz 3-0 but that was after drawing with Posta Rangers 0-0.  Infact one has to go all the way back to 2010, when a double by Duncan Owiti "Macheda" (remember him?) and a goal by George Odhiambo "Blackberry" condemned Mahakama to a 3-1 defeat. Since then we have drawn 3 (Posta Rangers, Kakamega Homeboyz, Congo United) and lost 2 (Nakuru All Stars and Muhoroni Youth). Infact since 2011 we have not scored a goal in our first match of the season against a promoted team. Our record in the second match is slightly better, beating Kakamega Homeboyz last year and Bandari in 2011. The rest has been draws with a loss against Oserian in 2012.

Duncan Owiti "Macheda" was on the double the last time K'Ogalo won their first meeting against a newly promoted side

Gor Mahia has come a long way since that day in 2011 when Ezekiel Odera and Dan Makori were on the scoresheet against Congo United (the last time we scored a goal in our first match of the season against a promoted team) and fans will hope that the attacking force of Tuyisenge and Timothy Otieno who are the likely starters will finally break that duck.

Below are the results of our first encounters against newly promoted teams

2016
Posta Rangers 0-0
Kakamega Homoboyz 3-0

2014
Nakuru All Stars 0-2
KRA 0-0

2013
Kakamega Homeboyz 0-0
Bandari 0-0

2012
Muhoroni Youth 0-1
Oserian 0-1

2011
Congo 2-2
Bandari 1-0

2010
Mahakama 3-1
Posta Rangers 1-0

Gor's Sea Side Travails

Playing Bandari away has always been a difficult fixture for Gor Mahia. In 5 meetings between 2008 and 2014, we have only won 1 game and lost 4, courtesy of a David Owino header in 2013. In those games we have only scored 3 goals, 1 of them being an own goal last year. Apart from David Owino, only Peter Opiyo "Pinchez" has scored for Gor Mahia against the Dockers in Mombasa. That was way back in 2009.

Of the clubs we have played against more than 10 times in the league, it is the one we have amassed the least number of points against. None of our players has ever scored more than one goal against Bandari since 2008, all the 9 goals we have scored against them coming via 8 different players (Meddie, Abondo, Calabar, Blackberry, Macheda, Pinchez and Awilo). Of the clubs we have played atleast 10 or more games against in the league, they are the ones we have scored the least goals against. Forget about the likes of Tusker and Ingwe, of the current teams in the league, Bandari is our nemesis. One would therefore be forgiven for going into this game with much trepidation.

Past encounter against Bandari in Mombasa 

But this is a record breaking and recording chasing Gor Mahia team that has dominated all teams locally this year. Coming off the disappointment of not out-rightly winning against the eternal enemy last weekend, a game that was abandoned thanks to hooligans from our shemejis homes, K'ogalo will be hoping to not only preserve their unbeaten status but also to ensure no team wins any bragging right over them this season. A win will put us on the brink of defending the championship with five games to go (if we avoid defeat against Ulinzi in the next game). And while a draw or even a defeat will not take away our chances of defending the title, the players will know that it is a matter of pride. And what better way there is to relax at the coast than winning. 

Prediction: 1-0 to Gor Mahia. Meddie Kagere

See full stats against Bandari FC HERE

Picture courtesy of gormahia.net