Match-winning substitutes have Gor Mahia coach Akonnor purring

Gor Mahia head coach Charles Akonnor has hailed his substitutes, for turning the tide as K’Ogalo cruised to a 3–0 victory over Posta Rangers in a thrilling Kenyan Premier League match on Sunday evening at the Nyayo National Stadium.

The emphatic win — Gor’s third consecutive triumph — was dedicated to the late club patron and Former Prime Minister Right Honorable Raila Odinga, whose influence inspires the team’s spirit and determination.

After a goalless first half, Ben Stanley broke the deadlock in the 58th minute with a cool finish, before Austin Odhiambo doubled the lead in the 71st. Substitute Felix sealed the victory deep into stoppage time, sending the home crowd into wild celebration and condemning Posta Rangers to their first season defeat.

Reflecting on the result, Akonnor lauded his side’s discipline and composure after a tough first half.

“I think we’ve shown that we are tactically much disciplined. In the first half, we couldn’t really function as we wanted because Posta are a good side — we had to respect them,” said Akonnor.

“But in the second half, a little bit of discipline and changes from the bench made all the difference. Sometimes we can win the match from the bench, and those who came in did a very good job.”

Posta Rangers, who entered the match unbeaten and top of the table, found themselves on the back foot after Akonnor introduced Alpha Onyango, Ben Stanley Omondi, and Felix Oluoch, who came on for Fidel Origa, Samuel Kapen, and Patrice Esombe, respectively.

The tactical switch paid dividends when Ben Stanley Omondi broke the deadlock in the 58th minute, just a minute after being introduced, with coach Akonnor hailing Alpha Onyangos's prowess to help them move the ball forward.

“They blocked the wider areas, so we needed to go through the middle. Alpha is the man for that — we knew he could control the game for us,” Akonnor explained.

“We had planned it. We wanted to be aggressive in the first half, and when that didn’t work, we knew Alpha would make the difference.”

The win maintained Gor Mahia’s unbeaten run and underlined their growing confidence under Akonnor’s stewardship. The victory lifted Gor Mahia to third place on the KPL table with nine points — just one behind joint leaders Kakamega Homeboyz and Posta Rangers. However, K’Ogalo has played one match less.

Gor Mahia face Mathare United on Thursday, October 30, at the Kasarani Stadium in a Game week 6 clash. Mathare come into the encounter buoyed by a 1–0 win over Shabana at Gusii Stadium.