Top Premier League sides suffer shock defeats

Ten-time Cup champions Gor Mahia suffered the shock of their lives after being tossed out of the GOtv Shield at the round of 16 stage by National Super League side Nzoia United following a 1-0 loss at the Mumias Sugar Sports Complex on Sunday.
Gor’s defeat came just hours after the club’s camp was jolted following reports that under-fire coach Jose “Ze Maria” Ferreira had fired his goalkeeping coach Mathew Ottamax.

Due to the “sacking”, Ottamax did not board the mid-morning flight to Kisumu from where the team connected to Mumias for the match via road.

Ottamax in an interview said that the he had been fired by the Brazilian. “He (Ze Maria) told me yesterday (Saturday) that I was not needed in the team and that I could not fly with the team to Kisumu (for the game).

“Things have not been fine because the coach has been belittling us. He has no respect and talks to me using foul language in the presence of players,” Ottamax said.

And on the pitch, Gor, who have been undergoing a miserable spell with a spate of draws in the league campaign suffered the ignominy of losing to a minor side. They fell by a slim and painful 1-0 defeat to leave their season’s campaign in tatters.

The loss increased pressure on the Ferreira, who will certainly face a difficult week.

Edgar Nzano was Gor’s destroyer of the afternoon drilling in a beautifully taken penalty in the 30 minute to leave the K’Ogalo nation in disbelief.

Ferreira made second half changes bringing in Baron Oketch and Meddie Kagere for Ernest Wendo and Luke Ochieng respectively but they could not find a way past Nzoia despite injecting pace and urgency to  Gor’s play.

At the Thika Municipal Stadium, it was another upset tale as Premiership side Thika United were kicked out of the competition by second division team, Kenya Commercial Bank.

MAKE AMENDS

KCB were demoted from the top division after a horrible campaign last term but on Sunday, they got a chance to make amends hitting Thika United 1-0.
Kennedy Owino scored early in the fifth minute to kick out the James Nandwa-coached side from the competition .

At the Mbaraki Sports Club in Mombasa, Bandari cruised to the quarter-finals after beating Bidco United 1-0.

Ugandan midfielder Musa Mudde scored the all-important goal.

Early on at the same venue, Ibrahim Kitawi’s strike was enough to fire Kariobangi Sharks to the quarters in a 1-0 victory over Modern Coast Rangers.
In another development, Harambee Stars jet out for Kampala, Uganda today ahead of tomorrow’s friendly match with the Cranes.

The Stars are using the build -up as a dress-rehearsal for the September 4 dead rubber African Cup of Nation qualifier with Zambia’s Chipolopolo in Ndola.

Eight foreign based players led by skipper Victor Wanyama (Tottenham Hotspur) arrived in the country on Sunday ahead of the friendly to be played at the Mandela National Stadium from 4pm.

Besides Wanyama, in-form striker Jesse Were (Zesco United, Zambia), David Ochieng (New York Cosmos, USA), David Owino (Zesco United ,Zambia ), Gonzalez Ismael (Las Palmas, Sapin), Anthony Akumu (Zesco United, Zambia ), Jonah Ayunga (Brighton & Hove Albion, UK) and Lelan Joshua (Plymouth Argyle, UK) are the other foreign based players in the team.

Brian Mandela (Maritzburg FC, South Africa) and Ayub Timbe (Lierse, Belgium) are expected on Monday morning while with Aboud Omar (Slavia Sofia) and Michael Olunga (IF Djugardens, Sweden ) will however  link up with the team in Uganda on Tuesday morning.

Stars on four points are out of contention while Guinea Bissau which clinched the ticket are on 10 points. Congo and Zambia are both on six points