I have seen a lot of reactions online about Gor Mahia’s unexpected exit from the Sportpesa Cup in Tanzania. Gor, who have won the title two times on a row, were bundled out by a little known Tanzanian side Mbao FC.
But instead of criticism and mockery, fans should be looking at this loss like a blessing in disguise. First of all, the tournament was not really something they needed. Gor have won it twice, scoring 14 goals in the process without conceding a goal.
Apart from a lavish trip to UK, Gor did not benefit anything from last year’s edition. In fact, the trip to Liverpool denied the team of some valuable pre-season and they have paid dearly for it this season.
Gor were on the verge of qualifying for the CAF CC knockout stages last season. That did not happen however, as the team lost their last two matches. This was blamed on a fixture pile-up. Gor played 20 matches in 60 days between July and August. But what was the cause of this pile-up?
We will have to go back to the time they wasted at the Sportpesa Cup tournament in Nakuru. Even though they won the tournament, they accrued several matches, which ended up costing them dearly.
This season, the team has again qualified for the CAF CC group stages. This means they will play more matches than any other team. They need time to prepare for these matches, if they’re to have a chance against the likes of Zamalek.
Gor is already behind schedule in the KPL matches. Playing in Tanzania would have affected their fixtures even more. Losing to Mbao was therefore a blessing. They should take the next flight home.