Gor Mahia found relief, belief and three precious points at Kasarani Stadium on Wednesday afternoon as Alpha Onyango’s superb strike sealed a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Kakamega Homeboyz, snapping a worrying three-game winless run.
K’Ogalo came into the match under mounting pressure, having collected just one point from their previous three outings of the 25/26 Kenyan Premier League season. With murmurs growing louder around the stands, the champions knew anything less than a win would only deepen the tension.
The warning signs appeared almost immediately.
Inside the opening minute, Homeboyz nearly stunned the hosts when Kevin Amwayi met a loose ball with a sweetly struck volley that crashed against the upright, leaving Gor Mahia scrambling to recover their shape.
Gor responded quickly. In the third minute, Shariff Musa burst down the right flank and delivered a teasing cross into the box, picking out Felix Oluoch, but goalkeeper Simon Masaka reacted sharply to smother the danger before a shot could be released.
The breakthrough arrived in the 18th minute, and it was worth the wait.
A partially cleared set-piece dropped invitingly outside the box to Alpha Onyango, who needed no second invitation. The midfielder unleashed a fierce low drive that skidded through a crowd of bodies and beyond Masaka, rippling the net to hand Gor Mahia the lead and spark celebrations around Kasarani. It was Onyango’s first goal of the season, and it could hardly have come at a better time.
Gor Mahia pressed for a second before the break and went close again in the 27th minute when Ebenezer Adu-Kwaw found space inside the area, only for Masaka to deny him from close range as the hosts headed into halftime narrowly ahead.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Gor Mahia creating chances but failing to put the contest to bed.
Just past the hour mark, Oluoch slipped Musa through on goal, but with only the goalkeeper to beat, Masaka once again stood tall, reacting quickly to keep Homeboyz in the contest.
Moments later, Oluoch had a chance of his own, rising unmarked at the back post to meet Paul Ochuoga’s cross, only to glance his header just over the bar in the 66th minute.
Homeboyz threatened sporadically. Their best opening of the half fell to Hillary Otieno, who tried his luck from distance in the 69th minute, but Byrne Omondi was equal to the effort, gathering comfortably.
As the clock wound down, Gor Mahia managed the game with growing composure, ensuring Onyango’s strike was enough to secure all three points.
Gor Mahia boss Charles Akonnor pulled no punches after his side's win, and he had some major casualties, one of whom was Ghanaian midfielder Enock Morrison, who was substituted because he simply failed to impose himself on the game.
Midfield misfires forced a tactical rethink
Akonnor said Morrison struggled to control the tempo, repeatedly losing possession and playing risky passes that disrupted Gor Mahia’s rhythm. Despite on-field instructions and tactical nudges, the midfielder could not find his usual influence, prompting the coach to reshuffle the engine room at halftime.
“It wasn’t a good day for him from the beginning,” Akonnor admitted, explaining the decision to bring on Fidel and tighten the midfield. The change, he added, restored defensive balance and steadied the team, allowing others to contribute and the side to grind out the result.
The win lifts Gor Mahia back to the top of the table with 23 points from 12 matches, two clear of second-placed KCB, having played a game fewer. Just as importantly, it eases the pressure on head coach Charles Akonnor, who had been staring at growing fan unrest had his side slipped to a fourth straight match without victory.
On a tense afternoon at Kasarani, one moment of quality proved decisive, and Gor Mahia were reminded that sometimes, all it takes is one clean strike to reset a season.
