GOR,UNDER FRANK NUTTALL,SET TO RAISE STANDARDS OF KENYAN FOOTBALL


    Gor, leading the league by a clean 12 points, are in pole position to underline their status as Kenya's most eminent football club but its the fairy tale manner in which it is shaping up that provokes  thought.

Slightly over a decade ago, it would have been ignorant, unwise if not even criminal to think that Gor Mahia, one of two Kenyan footballing gems(the other being arch-rivals AFC Leopards) would even come close to recalling past glories. It was a period when Kenyan football had ebbed to its lowest tide, embroiled in the murks of its chronic wrangles. With Gor Mahia and AFC staring down an abyss, so did the adornments that garnished Kenyan football. The sport was barging through the rains and the storm threatened to discredit the achievements of the two collosal teams. For Gor Mahia, their Africa conquering memories of 1987 then seemed like bad reminders of how deep they had sank and how high they couldn't reach and how far off the pedestal they were. Of course the fall was hard and unforgiving, scathing and scarring.

Yet ten years on, with Kenyan football offering a front of stability, Gor are on the verge of another milestone- clinching a third successive KPL crown and become Kenya's most embelished club with 15 titles. And not just that, but they appear on course at the back of an unbeaten run. This one seems pre-ordained, destined and bound.

Going into a mid season break, Gor Mahia, after 15 games, are top on 39 points with 30 goals scored, only six conceded and no loss to their name. On its own, the statistic bears no significance. But compare this: their winning campaign last season after 30 outings, yieded 43 goals , 60 points and five losses. By this season's standards, that's pedestrian isn't it?

In their current form, K'ogalo could finish with well over 70 points and over 60 goals scored, laying to waste and laughing in the face of recent records. No loss would then add glamour to the show. In their current form, they could wrap up the league early enough, something that's an anomaly in a league with the propensity of going down to the wire. Yet another milestone.

They have been outstanding, brilliant and epic. They have been ridiculously and outrageously good, yet, no poetic wax can do justice to Gor's imperious impetus. Their 5-0 whitewash of Nakuru All Stars was a full display of their devastating fluidity in attack (Meddie Kagere's goal, anyone?) while the 0-0 draw with Sofapaka and the 1-0 flooring of Tusker showed their flexibility to switch from flair to grit to get things done.

Coach Nuttall has made the difference. He could be what Kenyan football and not just Gor Mahia, need. His tactical nous is on song mostly and he has brought much cohesion to this Gor outfit that others simply can't match. A holder of UEFA 'A' licence and UEFA Pro licence in coaching (eligible to coach teams in Europe), Frank Nuttall is probably a man overqualified for this job. But his high standard could lead to better professionalism among our coaches as coaching, not lack of talent, is what makes continental glory elusive.

With talent and a good coach, Gor look set to lead a departure from precedent mediocrity. Unless the chasing pack raise their game, playing catch up with Gor will be like trying to play catch-me-if-you-can with a cheetah. While their mettle has yet to face the toughest and most labourious of tasks - the continental hurdle - the grounds on which their current form is founded is firm enough to sway even the stalwart skeptics.

A well trained coach in Nuttall, massive talents in Michael Olunga, Meddie Kagere, Ali Abondo, Collins Okoth among others, this is a team set to define an era, recall and better Gor's storied past and usher in a new, better dawn for Kenyan football. Marry in money to all the quality they have and scaling the apparent insurmountable heights of continental championship could be done. Already a class above the rest in KPL, its up to the others to catch up and do better. See, the bar is raised. But then such far fetched reality will only be achieved if the club can hold onto the coach and their best players. That's where the fluke of Kenyan football is - Instability.

  

photo: courtesy

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