All eyes on Gor Mahia tonight

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Will the Kenyan champions K’ogalo triumph the the colonial masters? Well, the countdown begins…

The moment football fans in Kenya have been eagerly been waiting for is finally here. Gor Mahia players are all set to play English Premier League Everton in the historic SportPesa Trophy match at Goodison Park tonight at 10 pm.

 

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The high-profile friendly match pits hosts, Everton Football Club who have won the English Premier League (EPL) title on nine occasions against 17-time Kenyan champions Gor Mahia. Kenyans now wait with baited breath for the match that will be aired live on NTV from 10 pm.

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Former Kenyan Prime Minister and Gor Mahia patron, Raila Odinga has already landed in England to cheer the K’ogalo champions. This group of players will go into the books of history as being part of the first ever African club to play a Premier League team on English soil.

Everton coach Marco Silva hinted that he will field his strongest team available despite a tough match against Chelsea on Saturday. He also challenged Gor Mahia to display their ‘A’ game, suggesting that the match could offer the players opportunities to play in the more established leagues.

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“What we know about Gor Mahia is that this is an important moment for them because they will be the first African club to play here. I expect a very good match that will enable us see our different ways of playing and we are ready for everything,” said the Everton coach.

The Gor Mahia players seem to have sent panic to the English football teams therefore tonight’s match is expected to be a tough one. The Dutch goalkeeper, Maarten Stekelenburg expects another difficult match after featuring in their 2-1 win over Gor Mahia in the inaugural tournament in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania last year.

“It wasn’t an easy game when we went to Tanzania last year. They (Gor Mahia) have been out of competition for over a month or so, and they have been on a holiday so far. Hopefully they had a lot of parties, but generally, it is going to be a difficult game like last year,” said Coach Stekelenburg.

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According to the Kenyan international defender Joash Onyango, this is a match that they should play to enjoy but not try so hard to impress.

“Of course, this is a dream come true for the whole team.  I think it will be a tough game for both teams. But we just need to be at our best and focus on playing our game,” said Onyango.

The Kenyan stars earned the right to compete against Everton after beating Tanzania’s Simba 2-0 in the eight team SportPesa Super Cup held in Nakuru in July. Should Gor Mahia defeat Everton tonight, they will be crowned SportPesa Trophy champions.

 

What’s your prediction of tonight’s match?

 

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