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
- 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.