Charles Akonnor Blames Poor Officiating as Gor Mahia's Winning Streak Ends Against Ulinzi Stars

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Charles Akonnor Blames Poor Officiating as Gor Mahia's Winning Streak Ends Against Ulinzi Stars

Abigael Wafula 10:59 - 03.11.2025

Gor Mahia head coach Charles Akonnor voiced frustration over the refereeing in their 1-1 draw with Ulinzi Stars, suggesting it played a role in halting his team's winning streak.

The recent Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) clash between giants Gor Mahia and Ulinzi Stars ended in a contentious 1-1 draw at Kasarani Stadium, with the aftermath dominated by strong accusations of poor officiating.

Gor Mahia's four-match winning streak came to an end after Ulinzi Stars held them to a 1-1 draw, halting their impressive run of form.

After starting the season with a 1-0 defeat to Bidco United, K’Ogalo bounced back strongly with victories over Sofapaka (2-0), KCB (1-0), Posta Rangers (3-0), and Mathare United (2-0) before sharing the spoils with Ulinzi Stars in their latest outing.

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Charles Akonnor Blames Officiating After Draw Against Ulinzi Stars

Gor Mahia Head Coach Charles Akonnor was vocal in his criticism following the Sunday fixture.

Charles Akonnor expressed his dissatisfaction with what he felt were several crucial decisions incorrectly awarded against his side, decisions that he believed cost K'Ogalo a potential victory.

The match saw Gor Mahia take an early lead through Felix Oluoch, only for Ulinzi Stars to level the score with a Boniface Muchiri strike, securing a valuable point after a tough run of form.

While Charles Akonnor eventually conceded that his team was not at their ‘most compact’ best, his primary frustration focused squarely on the match officials, hinting that the standard of refereeing was not up to par for a top-tier league match.

“Well, it was a difficult game, and we were slow in the way we approached the game in the first half. We did not have the compactness needed in the game, and we didn’t have the ball as we had intended to have it more. We have to work on that,” he said after the match.

“But it was frustrating also with the officiating as well…it frustrated us a little bit, but it’s okay, we shall go back and do well to improve in the next game. We have to be smart, and it is a clear indication that there are certain areas we need to improve.

“In the midfield, we have to be compact and smart in how we connect and do better to improve in our next game.”

This incident adds to a long-standing pattern of officiating controversies plaguing high-stakes FKFPL matches. Previous encounters between the two teams, including a 2015 fixture, have also seen coaches, on both the Gor Mahia and Ulinzi Stars benches, publicly faulting the referee's decisions.