In their bid to knock Posta Rangers out of the Football Kenya Federation Premier League summit, Gor Mahia are hoping for a win during their match against Kenya Police at Kasarani Main Stadium on Sunday, November 5, 2023.

That can happen if they see off their weekend’s opponents and Rangers lose or draw in their respective match.

Both Rangers and K’Ogalo are in action, and each wishes the other faltered in order to take advantage and move ahead. Only a point separates these two early title rivals, pointing to the fact that Sunday’s matches and their respective outcomes will have far-reaching consequences at the top.

Rangers failed to maintain a three-point gap against the reigning champions when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Kakamega Hoemboyz. K’Ogalo, on the other hand, managed to close in on the Mailmen after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Shabana.

Match Preview

Police were seen as title favourites before the season began, but they did not start the campaign on a strong footing.

After heavy signings, they did not leave the dream, and as the season gathered speed, the law enforcers failed to keep pace with the leading pack and are now in the 13th position, nine points below K’Ogalo.

Their early-season struggle saw them fire coach Francis Baraza but maintain the backroom personnel. Zdravko Logarusic, a former Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards coach, was brought in to steady the boat, but so far the results have been inconsistent.

On the other hand, Gor Mahia look solid and have been tipped to defend the title, especially with Tusker, their perceived strong rivals, facing their own struggles on the pitch.

The record Premier League champions are the only side yet to taste defeat this season and hope to extend the unblemished run when they come face-to-face with Police.

Last season, K’Ogalo managed wins in this fixture, collecting maximum points by picking up 2-1 victories on both legs.

Gor Mahia’s attacking front is powered by Benson Omala, who is the leading scorer in the league with seven goals, and this means Police must be very alert to keep the lethal forward at bay.

Team News

Coach Johnathan McKinstry has had to do without key players in recent games. Against Shabana, Rwandan defender Emery Bayisenge and forward Patrick Sibomana were not available after injuries they suffered during a previous encounter against Tusker.

It is not clear whether the duo will be available for the Sunday game. However, John Macharia and Gad Mathews are back in contention after missing a number of the season-opening games. Macharia was named the man of the match against Tore Bobe and could be handed a starting slot against Police.

It would be interesting to see whether McKinstry will have Mathews back in goal given that Kevin Omondi has performed superbly. Omondi, who signed from Sofapaka, has kept five clean sheets so far in nine games.

Predicted starting XIs

Gor Mahia probable XI: Kevin Omondi, Rooney Onyango, Geoffrey Ochieng, Kennedy Onyango, Ernest Wendo, Boniface Omondi, Alpha Onyango, Benson Omala, Austin Odhiambo, John Macharia

Kenya Police probable XI: Patrick Matasi, Baraka Badi, Omar Aboud, Musa Mohammed, David Ochieng, Charles Ouma, Francis Kahata, David Owino, Alvin Mangeni, Tyson Otieno, Tito Okello.