Table of Contents
- Foreign Gor Mahia who are underperforming are on notice
- Gor Mahia secretary-general Niconar Arum says they should leave
- He adds that their signings should be on merit alone
Underperforming foreign Gor Mahia players from other countries have been put on notice by the club’s new secretary-general Niconar Arum.
Arum took office a few weeks ago in successful club elections conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). He is serving together with long-serving chairman, Ambrose Rachier.
The new club officials promised to transform the club in the next four years they are in office.
Warning Bells for Foreign Gor Mahia Players
Arum’s recent declaration to do away with all non-performing players in the club is one of the resolutions passed by the new officials to strengthen the team.
The new secretary-general said they want to leave a legacy of excellence in the Kenyan Premier League. He is promoting a culture of performance for the club.
Arum firmly stated that some foreign Gor Mahia players do not deserve to be playing for the club. He told journalists in a presser early this week that this is a critical issue he is looking at in a bid to transform K’ogalo.
Gor Mahia players. Photo/Capital News
He says a performance audit shows there are some foreign players who shouldn’t be playing for Gor Mahia but they are still on the club’s payroll.
Arum noted that they add no value to the club yet they draw monetary benefits in return for nothing.
He is concerned that local talents end up wasted since they are not nurtured enough due to limited club opportunities.
Gor Mahia Performance 2025 Season
K’ogalo currently sits third in the KPL table with 47 points out of 26 matches played. Tusker FC leads the league with 51 points, followed by Police FC with 49 points.
The club’s leadership is concerned about a slump in performance this season. The secretary-general attributed this declining performance to the flawed signings of foreign Gor Mahia players.
Gor Mahia’s current signings for non-Kenyans are the club’s goalkeeper, Congolese national Giscard Mavoungou, who previously played for As Otoho.
Others are Rwandese Charles Bbaale who played for Rayon Sports FC, and Patrick Essombe (Cameroon) a former Sportive de Douala player.
He insisted that K’Ogalo needs to roll out better accountability and transparency whenever a foreign player is signed.
“While foreign players can enhance the team’s skill set, their contributions must justify their positions; under-performance can harm team dynamics,” The Star reports.
Arum said they are working on adopting a meritocratic system where a player’s performance determines whether or not he should play for the club
This, according to Arum, will weed out all underperforming foreign Gor Mahia players.
Is Gor Mahia Popular?
Gor Mahia players at a past match. Photo/Eliud Owalo
Gor Mahia (K’ogalo) is the most popular football club in Kenya. It has won eight seasons of the Kenya Premier League.
It’s fame is attributed to its huge fan base mostly from Nyanza. Luos have an indisputable connection to the club led by one of their own, Rachier for the last 16 years.
However, the unbridled support by youths has in many instances spiraled to hooliganism in some of its matches.
The biggest rival of K’ogalo is AFC Leopards. A derby between the two clubs often ends up in a clash between fans. The mood is always lit in the city centre before the match.
Fans rocking respective club jerseys set the mood with song and dance and vuvuzela tunes fill the air.
Many people keep off areas near Nyayo Stadium whenever there is a Gor Mahia vs AFC Leopards derby to avoids attacks.
The two clubs have in the past defended themselves from hooliganism claims saying that their fans are peaceful.
They blame ‘goons’ posing as fans of the clubs for the violence they mete out on people.
