Africa-Press – Kenya. Gor Mahia head coach Sinisa Mihic was over the moon after his charges surmounted a vicious battle and early chaos that erupted at the at Gusii Stadium to pip Shabana 1-0 in a nail-biting Kenyan Premier League thriller on Sunday.
The game, a relentless chess match of skill and grit, seemed poised to end in a stalemate. Then, a flash of brilliance as Sylvester Owino unleashed a strike that ripped through the Shabana defence, finding the back of the net with the precision of a scalpel. The stadium erupted.
A single goal was enough to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory, propelling Gor Mahia to second place in the league standings, just two points behind Kenya Police.
Mihic expressed a poignant mix of relief and frustration at the full-time whistle. “It was a tough day, a tough match, but we ended up laughing in the end. I’m happy with the results and satisfied with the huge effort we all put into the match,” Mihic said.
The Croat, however, called for heightened security measures at stadia hosting KPL matches, saying the events preceding the encounter affected the players psychologically.
“It becomes difficult to even concentrate in such an atmosphere. We should do better as a country. Hopefully, we shall not witness a repeat of such again,” he added. His opposite number, Peter Okidi, said they lost as a result of dubious officiating. “We thought the goal the referee awarded was not fair at all, and such standards of officiating merely serve to compromise the quality of the league,” Okidi said.
“All in all, we gave a good account of ourselves and I still believe we were the better side in the match,” he added. He asked fans to put aside their differences in the best interest of Kenyan football.
“Football is not a matter of life and death, and whatever happened was entirely unnecessary. We need to embrace the true spirit of the sport, which includes winning and losing in grace,” he said.
The ensuing chaos painted a grim picture. A beautiful game, meant to unite, was overshadowed by the ugly face of hooliganism. The roar of the crowd morphed into a cacophony of shouts, screams and the sickening thud of fists connecting with flesh.
The stadium, designed for celebration, became a stage for senseless brutality. Injured fans, victims of this senseless violence, lay scattered amidst the debris of broken chairs. Shabana and Gor fans fought over which area to occupy at the terraces, resulting in the violence that has since injured several fans. Located directly across from the VIP dais, the stadium’s terraces section is designated Gl to G13.
Gor Mahia was given three regular stands, while Shabana supporters were given ten, in addition to the VIP dais, which was accessible to supporters of both teams. The three stands, however, were insufficient to hold the Gor Mahia supporters, who began packing the stands as early as 11 a.m. When Gor Mahia supporters noticed that Shabana supporters had been given more room, they began pushing their way onto the other stands.
Consequently, the two sides began throwing stones at each other, causing violence to break out. As police officers in the stadium tried to control the situation, the carnival atmosphere, which had already been created by the fans’ excitement for the match, quickly devolved into running battles.
Several fans, mostly women, suffered injuries and had to be taken to the hospital by waiting ambulances. More than half an hour passed before things returned to normal in the stadium.
Due to the enormous fan bases of both teams, there was a lot of discussion before the game regarding Gusii Stadium’s suitability to host this high-risk match. Gor Mahia had requested that the match be played in a different location, which could hold more fans, while Shabana insisted that the match had to be played at the 12,000-capacity venue.
Kisii Town was brought to a halt earlier, before the violence started, when supporters of Shabana and Gor infiltrated the stadium. As early as 7 am, the fans started to arrive for the match, which was scheduled to start at 2 pm. More fans were waiting outside to gain entry, but by 1:30 am, the stadium was already packed. Pitchside LED screens have been installed at Gusii Stadium for the first time in its history to
display advertisements and other endorsements. After a 42-minute delay, the game finally began. Shabana has been in good form while playing at home.
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