Ulinzi Punish Striking Gor, Tusker Egde Thika Closer To The Chop

MACHAKOS, Kenya- Within a fortnight, a team that swept all before them to clinch the 2018 SportPesa Premier League (SPL) title can now not buy a win in domestic football. 

Ulinzi Stars FC inflicted a 2-0 defeat on champions Gor Mahia FC on Wednesday afternoon for their second successive loss in the league and fourth in a row in all competitions.

Elvis Nandwa helped himself to a brace as the 2010 title winners outclassed the SPL holders at Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos as the ill effects of a pay protest came to the fore for a second successive match.

On Saturday, bottom-side Thika United FC stunned Gor 1-0 but the joy for the milkmen was short-lived when former SPL winners Tusker FC brought them crashing down to earth with another 2-0 hiding on Wednesday.

Timothy Otieno also celebrated a double for Tusker to push Thika further into the relegation cesspit in a result that saw Robert ‘Lion’ Matano’s brewers froth up to seventh on the SPL log with 46 points.

The story of the day was in Machakos in what ordinarily is a clash of the titans whenever Ulinzi and Gor meet.

However, the dispirited champions, whose players elected to squad instead of standing for their pre-match photo had simply left their A-game somewhere else following the off the pitch shenanigans at the club.

Head coach Dylan Kerr travelled to Kenyatta with 16 players, two short of the required match day quorum and the dejected boss left the pitch in a huff, barely addressing the reporters who were waiting to question him after the game.

Proud Englishman 

The proud Englishman was seething since for the second week, he has not trained with his players after they went on strike to force the record 17 time league winners into settling their August salaries and bonuses accruing from six games.

At least, fears the players would boycott the game altogether and expose the glamour club to ridicule and sanctions from football never materialised but with games against Vihiga United FC, Mathare United FC, Zoo Kericho FC and Tusker FC still to come, the demoralised titleholders are in for more shellacking.

A Gor official had earlier confirmed to SportPesa News that some of the players had been evicted from their homes for non-payment of rent with the striking players protesting over unpaid wages and bonuses.

He blamed the executive led by chairman Ambrose Rachier for not remedying the situation sooner with the two-time SportPesa Cup winners preparing to travel to England to play Everton FC at Goodison Park on November 6.

“The situation is pretty bad. Some of the boys have been thrown out of their houses and the office is not dealing with this situation well. We are all embarrassed for the team,” our source lamented.

Photos of Kerr, his assistant Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno and team manager, Jolawi Obondo sitting on a bench at the training ground gained currency on social media on Monday as rumours Gor players had ‘vowed’ to not honour the Ulinzi game spread like wildfire.

Without training, K’Ogalo players looked like 11 green bottles standing on a wall waiting to fall and with Nandwa landing the hammer blows in the 37th and 47th minutes of the contest.

The result saw the soldiers (50) who will play Kariobangi Sharks FC at the same venue on Saturday in the SportPesa Shield Cup semi inch up a place to fourth on the SPL log.

In Thika, Otieno put the 2016 title winners in front after nice interplay with Michael Khamati and it was 2-0 in the 23rd when the same player punished the static Thika defence with a neat finish.

The milkmen (23) remain eight points adrift of safety with four games to go and it will take nothing short of a miracle to preserve their SPL status this season.

Struggling Chemelil Sugar FC are next up for Gabriel 'Kingi' Njoroge's Thika before they face Zoo Kericho FC and then Bandari FC in their penultimate game. 

By that time, their descent to the second-tier National Super League could be a reality and how they wish they were in Gor's shoes.