Kahata seals Gor’s Top 8 demolition of Tusker

Francis Kahata’s goal was all that champions Gor Mahia needed to return to the KPL Top 8 final with a 3-0 dismantling on aggregate of Tusker FC after a 1-0 victory in the return leg of their semi final in Nairobi on Sunday.

Gor will now play Muhoroni Youth on in the decider as they seek to be the first back-to-back champions of the knock out tournament at a date yet to be confirmed by organisers, the Kenyan Premier League.

“It’s my first final, obviously I’m happy for it. Gor is a big team, the mentality is win every match and win every competition. Tusker needed to score two goals which was difficult.

“Attention now shifts to the GOtv Shield. I may rest some players who have been regulars in every match like Musa Mohammed and Karim Nizigiyamana,” the delighted K’Ogalo boss, Marcelo ‘Ze Maria’ Ferreira said after the game.

“Tusker put a poor show in the first half but improve in the second in most games and I don’t know why but I have to talk to the players about it. You can be disappointed to be eliminated but again, we were eliminated by Gor Mahia and they are a big team,” Paul Nkata commented from the opposite dug out in paying homage to the champions.

Tusker’s custodian David Okello was a busy man as Gor menaced all through with Jacques Tuyisenge coming close in the sixth minute to extend their 2-0 advantage from the first leg played last weekend at the same Nyayo National Stadium.

The Rwandese international forward struck a free-kick from outside the box that Okello, who was returning to goal after sitting out the first leg, was equal to.

Ghanian striker Stephen Owusu then missed a guilt edged chance to give Tusker hope when he wasted his effort with only keeper and Gor captain, Jerim Onyango to beat.

Enoch Agwanda almost recreated his headed finish from the first leg, diving low to connect with Karim Nizigiyamana’s cross but his effort flashed wide.

Tusker’s Robert Omunouk then unloaded a hard shot forcing Onyango to punch the ball out to the unmarked Owusu whose rebound went straight back to the grateful K’Ogalo’s captain hands.

Gor responded immediately when Ugandan midfielder, Khalid Aucho, who is linked with a move to Glasgow Rangers, met Nizigiyamana’s cross with a diving header that forced Okello to parry out for a corner.

In the 36th, Kahata rattled the woodwork with a curler before Aucho’s rebound struck Asike on its way out for a corner.

But, the Harambee Stars midfielder would return to break the deadlock just a minute before the break with a well taken free-kick that arrowed to the back of the net.

After the restart, Gor’s coach Ze Maria gave Baron Oketch his second appearance since signing from Western Stima and withdrawing Agwanda.

In response, Nkata hauled off Cercidy Lumumba and brought on Humphrey Mieno who was itching for a move to Gor as well as Luis Khamadi for Noah Wafula in a bid to chase a tie that was slipping away from the Brewers.

Another Gor substitute, Ronald Omino who came on for Innocent Wafula, fed Tuyisenge in the 69th and who in turn laid the ball to Oketch in the box only to be denied by Okello before he could release his finish with Gor fans on their feet anticipating a second goal.

Despite putting a spirited fight to the end, Tusker could not manage a goal and bowed out of the competition as K’Ogalo laid a marker to the league leaders ahead of the start of the second leg.