Kerr: My Players Will Come Home With Unforgettable Memories

LIVERPOOL, United Kingdom- Gor Mahia FC head coach, Dylan Kerr, believes his charges will emerge stronger from the 0-4 chastening defeat to Everton FC having been part of history on Tuesday night.

The Kenyan giants were undone in this landmark SportPesa Trophy clash at Goodison Park by first half goals from Ademola Lookman and Kieran Dowell before substitute Broadhead Nathan and Oumar Niasse netted twice in a flash late on to seal the result.

Nevertheless, Gor who lost to the Blues 1-2 in Tanzania last year in their first meeting left Goodison with their heads held high having notched another milestone in their decorated history as the first club from East Africa to play an English Premier League (EPL) side.

Kerr, who took charge of the record 17-time domestic champions, opted to look at the positives from a humbling experience that exposed the gulf between local football and standards required in the most popular club competition in the world.

“We didn’t play the way Gor have been playing back home but I’m proud of my players for getting on there and braving the conditions.

“It’s not every day that an East African club gets to play on an EPL pitch and this will remain with them forever. We all are very grateful to SportPesa for this once in a lifetime opportunity,” Kerr stated after the game.

Turkana born

With no limits on substitutions during the encounter, all the players that travelled from Kenya got the chance to feature in the highly publicised match.

Younger players in the team such as Turkana-born Eliud Lokuwam and Raphael Asudi got the chance to enjoy the thrill of playing against the nine-time English champions.

“It was amazing to play on that kind of pitch and even though we lost, it’s an experience that we can carry with us for the rest of our lives and use it to better ourselves at Gor,” Asudi told SportPesa News.

Gor won the right to be part of the ground-breaking tour after retaining their SportPesa Cup on June 10 when they outfoxed Tanzania titleholders, Simba SC 2-0.

The match that attracted record crowds at home capped a memorable visit where Gor players and staff trained at the renowned USM Finch Farm complex, as well as extended tours of Goodison and the Everton in the Community project.

Players further gained invaluable training from Everton coaches besides accessing the club’s advanced medical facilities.

-Louis Kalinga is reporting from Liverpool, United Kingdom