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The newly-crowned Premier League champions were rewarded for their title triumph after sealing a record-extending 20th title
Gor Mahia have been promised a bigger and extended sponsorship by their partners SportPesa after winning the 2022-23 league title on Sunday.
K’Ogalo were awarded a Ksh3.65 million bonus by the gaming company as a reward for their title triumph but they as set to reap more now that they will be featuring in the CAF Champions League next season.
“We didn't realise that it will take one season to win again. We want to bring Gor Mahia back to where it was before,” said SportPesa CEO Ronaldo Karauri, when the company hosted the team on Wednesday.
“I'm happy that Shabana and Murang’a Seal are back because community teams is the way to go. I don't want to see anybody else on the shirt or Gor Mahia as long as it takes.
“When we started this about five years ago, no team in the region would be compared to Gor Mahia but compare Yanga and Gor now and there is a very big difference. The roles were reversed around 2019. Our goal is to ensure you get paid as well as the best players in Africa.”
Featuring in continental competition will stretch Gor Mahia’s budget to the limit and chairman Ambrose Rachier is wary of his club struggling to attend matches at it has been in previous seasons.
“When we stopped winning the league in 2019-20, it was because SportPesa stopped sponsoring us but when they came back, we won the league. In our new contract, we have factored in funds to enable us go for these trips. We won't be lying under the tables at the airport again,” said Rachier.
For coach Jonathan McKinstry, the job has just began having lifted the title against all odds, when few gave them the chance given his young and largely inexperienced squad.
“We overcame the biggest challenge in two decades where the second-placed team Tusker had 69 points and lost the title by just one point. The gap was so narrow and this is a young team, we are actually ahead of schedule. We are already talking about next season. We can't celebrate for too long,” said McKinstry.
Following SportPesa’s outlay, Gor have now pocketed over ksh9 million for winning the league, after ICT CS Eliud Owalo awarded them Ksh3 million with Ksh1.5 million and Ksh1 million coming from club patron former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and businessman Jared Otieno respectively.
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