Hii Imeenda? Defender Joshua Onyango on Why Gor Mahia Have Struggled in the League This Season

Photo || Gor Mahia

Hii Imeenda? Defender Joshua Onyango on Why Gor Mahia Have Struggled in the League This Season

Mark Kinyanjui 06:50 - 12.06.2025

Gor Mahia defender Joshua Onyango has explained why the club have been so bad this season ahead of the FKF Cup final.

Gor Mahia centre back Joshua ’Mangulu’ Onyango has explained why K’Ogalo have struggled this season, with the club set to miss out on the FKF Premier League title for the first time in three years.

Gor Mahia have been a shadow of their former selves this season, and unless they can win the FKF Cup final against Nairobi United next Saturday, it is looking increasingly likely that they will end the season without a major piece of silverware.

In the 2024/25 campaign, the team has dropped points in matches they were heavily favored to win, and even in victory, their performances have often lacked conviction.

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This contrasts sharply with last season when Gor Mahia clinched the title with two games to spare, sitting atop the league with 67 points and having conceded just 15 goals. 

This season, they have already conceded 21 goals and are second in the standings with 55 points, with Kenya Police FC needing just one point from two matches to claim the title.

Onyango: ‘Too Many Philosophies, Not Enough Stability’

Hii Imeenda? Defender Joshua Onyango on Why Gor Mahia Have Struggled in the League This Season
Gor Mahia players celebrate a goal in a previous match. (Credit: Gor Mahia) Gor Mahia players celebrate a goal in a previous match. (Credit: Gor Mahia)

Speaking to Mozzart Sport, Onyango—who has been a defensive mainstay for the past two seasons—pinpointed tactical inconsistency and frequent coaching changes as key contributors to Gor Mahia’s downturn.

“The philosophy has changed. Last season, we were more defensive and caught teams off guard on the counterattack,” he said.

“This season, there have been a lot of philosophies due to coaching changes, with the majority of them being attack-oriented.”

Gor Mahia have operated under four different head coaches this season: Leo Neiva, Sinisa Mihic, and interim stints under club legend Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno. 

This managerial merry-go-round has, according to Onyango, disrupted the tactical identity and defensive solidity that defined their previous success.

Onyango also attributed their defensive struggles to the team’s shift toward a more offensive setup.

“We are playing more ‘modern football’, which is more attacking and with a high line,” he explained.

“That’s made us more vulnerable to the counterattack, which used to be our greatest strength.”

With the backline pushed higher up the pitch and an emphasis on attacking play, Gor Mahia have been repeatedly exposed by quick transitions—an irony not lost on a club that once thrived by using those very tactics.

Although the league title is slipping out of reach, Gor Mahia have a final shot at silverware when they face Nairobi United in the FKF Cup final. Victory would earn them not just Ksh2 million in prize money, but also a spot in the CAF Confederation Cup, offering both financial and continental incentives.

Failure to secure the trophy, however, would mark a disappointing end to a season that began with high expectations and is now remembered for instability and underperformance.