The highly anticipated top-of-the-table clash between Tusker and Gor Mahia in the Kenyan Premier League did not disappoint as the two teams battled to a goalless draw at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday.
Gor Mahia head coach Jonathan McKinstry expressed satisfaction with the result but criticized the centre referee for what he perceived as a failure to control Tusker players who committed several fouls.
“Both teams showcased some excellent football, and I believe both coaches will be pleased with the game and what we tried to achieve. It was a closely contested match, and although we had our chances, we were not fortunate enough,” McKinstry commented.
“I believe Mieno (Humphrey) deserved a red card for elbowing Nganga (Dennis) not once, but twice. If there had been VAR or if the referee had been more vigilant, it would have been a definite red card. Omalla (Benson) also sustained a significant injury from his eyebrow down to his neck.”
The teams created numerous scoring opportunities in the action-packed encounter, which attracted a massive crowd of passionate supporters cheering on their respective teams.
Tusker head coach Robert Matano questioned Gor Mahia’s style of play and claimed that his team displayed superior performance in the closely fought encounter.
“I am surprised that Gor Mahia, despite their coach making fun of our style of play and claiming that we play bad football, resorted to playing long balls. I saw nothing from them that we could learn from,” Matano stated.
“Overall, the game was balanced. We had our chances but failed to convert them. In our next match against Wazito, we will strive to collect maximum points.”
The match began with an early chance for Tusker as skipper Mieno unleashed a half-volley from the edge of the box, but it narrowly missed the target.
In the 15th minute, Levin Odhiambo delivered a free-kick from the left, but Charles Momanyi failed to guide his attempt on target.
Gor Mahia also had opportunities, with Sidney Wahongo heading wide from a free-kick.
In an end-to-end affair, Tusker’s Shaphan Oyugi cut inside from the left and struck a powerful shot from 25 yards, only to see it rebound off the post.
Tusker thought they had broken the deadlock in the 69th minute when Oyugi tapped in a cross from Mike Otieno, but the goal was disallowed for offside by the centre referee.
Seeking to seize control of the balanced contest, Matano made a triple substitution, introducing John Njuguna, Deogratious Ojok, and Lawrence Luvanda for Eric Mmata, Eric Otieno, and Mike Oduor, respectively.
In other matches, Talanta surprised Kakamega Homebotz with a 1-0 victory, while bottom-placed Vihiga Bullets held Bidco United to a thrilling 3-3 draw.
