Gor Mahia head coach Hassan Oktay has played down the issue of players unrest this after overcoming Kakamega Homeboyz in a midweek Kenyan Premier League (KPL) clash at Kenyatta Stadium-Machakos.
Prior to the game, it had been reported that a section of the club players had refused to feature for the team due to unpaid dues and that was exhibited in the matchday squad when they could only parade four players on the bench.
But speaking after the game, Oktay said he had no problem with the number of players he had on the bench since he was sure they were still going to compete even if he had to force his physios to enter the field of play.
“I got players. Four players are four players. We did well with the players I had and even with two players I could have called on my physios and we could have given the same show. We didn’t have any problems with the fewer players on the bench,” Oktay said in his post-match interview.
On the match, Oktay said he had advised his players to make good use of the set pieces since they were tired and was confident that they were going to score even after going a goal down.
“I had told the players at half time that they needed to concentrate more in the first fifteen minutes of the second half. We are tired and they made it worse for us when they scored. I was forced to do a few changes after the dent but from the talk I had with them I had given them the motivation that we could score two goals and it worked.
“They were too compact with everyone behind the ball but I advised my players to test their keeper and be more effective from the set pieces, corners and free kicks and we did just that,” Oktay added.
Next for Gor Mahia is an important fixture against Petro Atletico in the CAF Confederations Cup; a clash they have to win if they harbour any ambitions of making it to the next stage of the competition.