Who will win this year’s Sportpesa Super Cup? Will Gor Mahia make it a hatrick of Sportpesa trophies or will we see a whole new team lift the crown this time round?
Kenyan champions Gor Mahia FC have been tipped by local fans to retain the SportPesa Cup whose third edition kicked off at the National Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania on Tuesday.
Gor will be up against little known Mbao FC of Tanzania in the third quarterfinal at the venue on Wednesday before the mother of all battles pitting domestic archrivals AFC Leopards SC of Kenya against Simba SC of Tanzania.
“I was supporting Kariobangi Sharks FC ahead of the tournament but my allegiance changed to Gor with coming on board of former Harambee Stars captain, Dennis Oliech, who is expected to spice up the competition,” Kaimosi College student Alison Ligatso underlined.
The 24-year old Computer Science undergraduate believes Gor have enough experience for the contest after lifting the trophy in the last two editions.
“Another advantage for K’Ogalo is that they have players like former Singida FC defender, Shafik Batambuze, who knows Tanzanian teams like the palm of his hand,” underscored Ligatso.
His sentiments have been echoed by Victor Achar,30, a bus driver from Kibera who is of the opinion that Oliech will be key to Gor’s victory this year.
“All players in the tournament fear Wuod Mary (Oliech), so to me the champions have already won 50 per cent of the battle even before stepping into the field,” he said.
The die hard K’Ogalo supporter also predicted that the 2019 finalists would be Gor versus Sharks, of which the former would carry the day with a 3-1 win.
Brian Omambia, a Nairobi based Marketing Executive, asserts that Gor have a better attacking force than any other club in the two nations challenge.
“This is what will give them an edge over other rivals,” noted Omambia.
Boniface Ilamoka says Kenya’s 17-time league winners have the mental strength to carry the day which the clubs in the competition are yet to master.
“This event is for Gor lose.Gor are just in Tanzania as a formality as they are the side that I know will play nine time English Premier League champions Everton FC at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi later in the year,” Ilamoka emphasised.