Mieno: English Cold Will Not Stop Gor Against Everton

NAIROBI, Kenya- Having scored on his last visit to England, Gor Mahia FC midfielder Humphrey Mieno maintains freezing weather in the United Kingdom (UK) will not hinder the Kenyan champions from putting on a brave performance against Everton FC.

The 30-year old midfielder joined Gor at the beginning of the 2018 SportPesa Premier League (SPL) campaign after two seasons with domestic rivals Tusker FC and made history in February last year when he notched the consolation for SportPesa All Stars in their 1-2 loss to Hull City FC Select XI.

Mieno was influential for the Brewers in 2016 when he helped the then Paul Nkata-coached side to a SPL and GOTv Shield Cup double, prompting the 17-time record league champions to sign him.

Since then, he has added another league title under Dylan Kerr and helped Gor retain the SportPesa Cup that they won in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania in June last year.

Mieno is part of the squad leaving for Liverpool on Friday morning to battle it out with nine-time English champions Everton in a SportPesa Trophy clash.

Speaking to SportPesa News on Wednesday after an early morning training session, Mieno explained that even though the conditions and environment is not what most of his teammates are used to, it is not an excuse for a poor performance and they have to pull their weight.

Exhibition match

“The weather is different and very cold but that will not deter us from playing our game and working hard to get a positive result.

“Despite the low temperatures, the game remains the same. We have a few days before the game to adapt and get used to the weather before the game, which will help us a lot,” Mieno offered.

He is no stranger to the excruciatingly low temperatures that the British winter brings, as this will be the second time that he plays a match on English soil.

Mieno, together with left-back Wesley Onguso, were a part of the SportPesa All Stars team that traveled to Hull in the UK last year for an exhibition match against then EPL side Hull before they were later demoted to the second tier Championship at the end of the 2016/17 season where the Tigers have been since.

The Kenyan international however, left an indelible mark when he got on the score sheet midway through the second half with a cracking 25-yard effort that flew into the bottom right corner of the hosts goal as the visitors threatened to level the friendly having gone 0-2 down in the first half.

“It was a great experience then and this year brings with it an even greater one. I'm glad we have many young players in the squad and most of my teammates haven’t been to the UK before, so we have to make the most of it,” Mieno stressed.

“I was fortunate to get a goal the last time but it’s not about individual honours for me. I will be satisfied with a good team performance and a win would make this historic match even sweeter,” he added.

The match will be played next Tuesday, November 6 at the iconic Goodison Park at 7pm (10GMT+).

Earlier this year, Hull eclipsed Gor 3-4 on post-match penalties when the sides met in Nairobi in May following a barren draw in regulation time at a game that saw the 60,000-seater Moi International Sports Stadium, Kasarani packed beyond capacity.

Last year, the SPL winners lost 1-2 to Everton in Dar in an encounter where returning former England captain, Wayne Rooney opened the scoring with another scorcher on his first appearance for the Blues after ending a 12-year career with English titans, Manchester United FC.