Best Of 2018: History Made As Hull City, Gor Mahia Shut Down Kasarani

31st December 2018

On Wednesday, May 9, an advance team jetted into the country led by Hull legend Dean Windass, famously remembered for his stunning volley responsible for sending them into the English Premier League for the first time in their history

Gor Mahia FC super fan Jaro Soja poses with a Hull City FC player after the match at the Kasarani Stadium on Sunday, May 13, 2018. PHOTO/HullCityFC
Gor Mahia FC super fan Jaro Soja poses with a Hull City FC player after the match at the Kasarani Stadium on Sunday, May 13, 2018. PHOTO/HullCityFC
SUMMARY
  • The football world will never forget the month of May in 2018 when English Championship side Hull City FC set out on their maiden tour of Africa courtesy of partners and leading bookmakers SportPesa
  • The landmark visit was culminated with a historic exhibition match pitting the English side and record Kenyan premier league champions Gor Mahia FC at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi
  • Gor got the once in a lifetime opportunity to play against Hull after edging eternal rivals AFC Leopards 5-4 on post-match penalties on May 1 at the same venue
  • The game was not to be the first time the Tigers faced Kenyan opposition having hosted the SportPesa All-Stars at the KCOM Stadium in February 2017, the home side running out 2-1 winners

NAIROBI, Kenya- The football world will never forget the month of May in 2018 when English Championship side Hull City FC set out on their maiden tour of Africa courtesy of partners and leading bookmakers SportPesa.

The landmark visit was culminated with a historic exhibition match pitting the English side and record Kenyan premier league champions Gor Mahia FC at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi.

Gor got the once in a lifetime opportunity to play against Hull after edging eternal rivals AFC Leopards 5-4 on post-match penalties on May 1 at the same venue.

Former star forward Meddie Kagere, now Kaizer Chiefs player Geoffrey Walusimbi, George Odhiambo, Joachim Oluoch and Bernard Ondiek scored for and a wild miss by Vincent Oburu sealed the victory for Gor.

“We are honoured to host Hull City for the first time in Africa. This match portends a lot both for our local football growth and exposure as well as showcasing the country as a tourist destination since it will be the first time in Kenya for most of the players and staff in the Hull City delegation,” SportPesa Chief Executive Officer Captain Ronald Karauri underlined.

On Wednesday, May 9, an advance team jetted into the country led by Hull legend Dean Windass, famously remembered for his stunning volley in the 2008 Championship playoff responsible for sending them into the English Premier League for the first time in their history.

The team’s head chef, a team of medical officers and coaches who set out to get a lay of the land before the team’s pending arrival, accompanied Windass.

"It's good to be back in Kenya and I'm really looking forward to the game on Sunday.

“Though some of the players might be tired from the season, I have no doubt they will put on a good show, we're in for a great game of football," Windass told upon arrival.

After inspection of the newly laid turf at Kasarani, Kenya’s oldest sports facility, everything seemed to be up to par with the standards set and the stadium and country as a whole were set to host the highly publicized encounter.

Monumental fixture

The game was not to be the first time the Tigers faced Kenyan opposition having hosted the SportPesa All-Stars at the KCOM Stadium in February 2017, the home side running out 2-1 winners.

Gor players Harun Shakava, Humphrey Mieno and left-back Wesley Onguso were all hyped to be getting a second run at Hull, having been part of the All Stars team.

“This is going to be a great day for the country and we are ready to put in all the effort we need to so as to make the fans proud.

“We don’t take this opportunity for granted and having played against them before, I believe that we have what it takes to emerge victorious,” Gor captain Shakava stated.

On Friday, May 9, the excitement and reality of the monumental fixture began to creep in as Nigel Adkins led his Hull City team onto African soil for the first time in the club’s history.

The entire traveling party were welcomed with traditional Kenyan dancers and drummers all jubilant in song and dance, much to the amazement and appreciation of the players and technical bench.

“This is simply amazing to say the least. It was a long flight but to land to such a welcome is encouraging.

“Despite coming off an entire season, the fatigue won’t affect us because we are all very excited for the game,” Jarrod Bowen, Hull’s 2017/18 top scorer underscored.

After the pleasantries, the team were escorted to a local hotel in the city, to get some rest ahead of the next couple of days.


The following day began with just as much pageantry as the first had ended as both team got the chance to enjoy a light training session and get a feel of the revamped turf that they would take to for the match.

Humongous crowds

Gor were in high spirits and it was visible from the training session they took part in on Saturday afternoon. Under the tutelage of Briton Dylan Kerr, this was the second time they went up against English opposition after going down 1-2 to Everton FC in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

“I have told my players that this game is more than just a football match, it’s a moment in history.

“They need to give it their all and put themselves out there to show that they too are worth it. I believe in them and I am looking forward to tomorrow,” Kerr told .

On the morning of the highly anticipated match, the streets were packed with all roads heading to the Kasarani Stadium.

The humongous crowds seen heading to the stadium and at the gates were a rarity for the Kenyan football scene as the last time such numbers were witnessed were over a decade ago.

The 60,000-capacity arena was filled to the brim even before kick-off, making the historic moment that more special. The atmosphere, pomp, noise and colour in and around the stadium were a remarkable sight as everyone was set to watch both teams lock horns for the first time in history.

Both sets of teams began to walk out of the tunnel and the noise that engulfed the stadium was deafening to say the least, nearly 60,000 fans off their feet cheering and screaming made Hull coach Adkins stop walking just to look around and grasp the moment.

Despite the majority being on Gor’s side on the day, the Kenyan faithful in the stands showed great sportsmanship as they ushered in the visiting team.

Former Manchester United FC player Frazier Campbell got a hearty round of applause right before the referee blew his whistle to signal the start of a captivating 90 minutes of football.

Gor began on the upper hand and enjoyed most of the possession in the early stages of the first half with midfielder Francis Kahata getting the crowd on their feet with his sleek dribbling skills.

The immense Kenyan support seemed to continue to work in Gor’s favor as they registered the first attempt on goal as Jacques Tuyisenge forced custodian David Marshall into a fine save.

Hull slowly got into the game but it wasn’t enough to dim the Kenyans who continued to impress, much to the elation of the thousands of fans in the stadium.

By half-time, the score was still goalless.

In the second half, Kerr took off Ivorian striker Ephrem Guikan and brought on crowd-favourite Kagere as they sought that opening goal that would change the entire outlook and feel of the game.

His efforts failed to bear fruit as chances became rare as the game progressed and the full-time whistle declared that the match was to be decided on penalties.

Skipper Shakava missed the first for Gor but his teammate Oluoch atoned making a save off Jarod Bowen. Kagere stepped up for the next and scored with Oluoch keeping the advantage saving Thomas Powell’s kick.

Tuyisenge who missed a chance in regulation time took Gor Mahia 2-0 with a well taken kick. Hull went back into the game with Jon Toral scoring.

Onguso had a chance of ensuring Gor remained steady in the lead, but substitute keeper Callum Burton saved his effort.

His blushes were saved with Oluoch saving from Brandon Fleming. Okeyo had the simple task of scoring the final kick and earn Gor the win, but he took a lame effort, Burton saving. Stewart Kevin scored Hull’s fifth.

Kevin ‘Ade’ Omondi saw his penalty saved with Hull’s Kevin Stewart scoring the response, ending up 4-3 winners.

Despite the narrow loss, the crowd did not stop cheering and singing at the top of their voices because at the end of it all, they too were a part of history.

“I cannot explain how today was, it was simply magical.

“Seeing so many fans in the stadium to cheer on their team is a beautiful thing to witness. Most of my players have never played in front of such a huge crowd and it’s a great experience to take home,” Adkins said after the match.

Both teams shared a dinner with their partners SportPesa, football stakeholders and dignified guests later that night where everyone had the chance to mingle and share their experience with one another.

The rest of their stay in Kenya saw them visit the National Park located in the city center, where they also got a fantastic story to take home with them.

Midway through the tour of the park after seeing lions, rhinos, giraffes and plenty other animals the vans got stuck in the muddy terrain, causing lots of mixed reactions.

Some were in a panic while others took the time to enjoy the moment with lots of banter flying across the vans. A handful of the players and staff tried to push the cars and were successful but not before getting themselves covered in mud.


“This was just crazy. Torn between the panic of getting stuck in the middle of the jungle and the excitement to take pictures for everyone back home was just insane,” Joe Clutterbrook, head of commercial at Hull City offered.

“The drive through the park was amazing and seeing some of my mates scared when we got stuck was priceless. I’ll never let them forget it,” striker Campbell stated.

The trip had an emotional end to it but everyone involved was content with a successful project that played a huge role in SportPesa’s agenda to develop the beautiful game in Kenya by bridging the gap and providing opportunities.