Gor Mahia’s new coach exuding confidence as he takes charge of club
Gor Mahia on Thursday unveiled new coach Steve Polack, his deputy Patrick Odhiambo, and 17 new players ahead of the 2019/2020 SportPesa Premier League season.
At a glittering ceremony held at a Nairobi hotel, a beaming club chairman Ambrose Rachier bragged that the club will – as usual – be competing for top honours both locally, in the region and on the continent.
The 58-year-old Polack also seemed to agree with his new boss.
“I always strive to be number one. And this is a new challenge, a big one. We will have to get it right and the first impression is we will,” the former Asante Kotoko coach said.
Polack comes in as a replacement of Hassan Oktay who quit earlier this week, seven months into his two-year contract.
Odhiambo has also been recruited as a replacement of Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno who resigned at the end of last season to join KCB as head coach.
FIRST ASSIGNMENT
Of the new players unveiled on Thursday, six have been promoted from the club’s youth team while two followed Odhiambo from Sony Sugar.
The club has also acquired two Tanzanians and a Ghanaian, who joins from a Mexican club.
Polack and Gor Mahia’s first assignment of the season is Sunday’s Caf Africa Champions League clash away to Burundian club Aigle Noir in Bujumbura.
New players:
Caleb Omondi, Alphonce Ombija, Lloyd Khavuchi, Godfrey Ombijo, Richdonald Bolo, Samuel Osok, (promoted from the club’s youth team), Abdalla Shira and Tobias Otieno (from Sony Sugar), Elvis Ronack (Nzoia Sugar), Maurice Ojwang (Western Stima), Robert Mapigano (Singida United, Tanzania), Dickson Ambundo (Alliance, Tanzania), Curtis Wekesa, Dennis Oalo (Nairobi Stima), Francis Afiriye (Ivory Coast) and Gieslin Gikpe (Ghana)