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Robert Matano has a relatively good record against Gor Mahia since returning to Ruaraka in 2018. Will he extend it this weekend?
Gor Mahia will face Tusker on Saturday afternoon at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos, seeking to maintain their unbeaten run and extend their nine-point lead at the top of the Football Kenya Federation Premier League table.
Tusker have won each of their last five matches, a run of form which has taken them from 12th place to third place in the league, with their title challenge now revitalised.
It is not the first time that the club have tended to start slowly under Matano. Infact, in the 2021/2022 season, Tusker were in 14th place after 11 matches, but put together a run of form that ended up with them winning the title at the expense of Kakamega Homeboyz, who lost it on goal difference.
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As both sides prepare to face each other for a ‘Clash of the Titans’ conquest at the Machakos Stadium this Saturday, Pulse Sports sought to delve into how Gor Mahia have tended to fair against Tusker since Robert Matano returned to the side in 2018, replacing Sam Timbe.
Matano has faced Gor Mahia 14 times since his return to the club, and in that time, Gor Mahia have had eight coaches in the dugout.
Matano has won five of those games, lost five, while the other four have been draws. However, when you dig deeper, you will notice that Matano lost most of those games while still new in the job, as it took him three years to get the team to actually contest and win the title as he sought o shape the squad in his own identity.
Gor won all three of the matches in 2019, including one game at the beginning of the 2019/2020 season where Gor won 5-2 under the stewardship of Steven Polack.
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11:20 - 18.01.2024
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Matano did however win all the matches in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
In 2020 and 2021 three of those matches were resounding 2-1 victories and the other a FKF Community Shield trophy win on penalties after both sides had labored to a 1-1 draw.
In 2022, they drew once and then Tusker won the other match 2-0 en-route to winning the title in the now-defunct 2021-2022 season, but under the stewardship of Johnathan McKinsry, it is Gor Mahia that have so far, had the last laugh.
Tusker won 2-1 in the first leg, before drawing 0-0 in the second leg of last season, and it did help Gor Mahia’s cause, who ultimately won the league by a solitary point in 2023.
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10:00 - 18.01.2024
FOOTBALL Odada sheds light on Olunga, Akumu and Mandela's impact on Harambee Stars
Odada has explained how he has developed his game from partnering Anthony ‘Teddy’ Akumu for Harambee Stars and also explained the importance of Michael Olunga and Brian Mandela.
Earlier this season, he won again 1-0 in October thanks to a lone Benson Omala strike, even though replays show it was scored from an offside position.
The question is, can McKinstry make it four-time lucky against Tusker or will Robert Matano finally get one over his Northern Irish counterpart?
Follow the Pulse Sports Kenya WhatsApp Channel for more news.
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