Gor Mahia coach Akonnor concedes derby defeat to AFC Leopards

Gor Mahia coach Charles Akonnor has conceded that the former Kenyan Premier League champions deserved to lose their FKF Premier League Mashemeji derby against rivals AFC Leopards on Sunday.

The two Kenyan giants met for their 98th fixture at Nyayo National Stadium with Gor Mahia the favourites following their recent run of good results against their sworn rivals.

However, it was AFC Leopards, who came out with bragging rights and maximum points from the contest after Julius Masaba scored in the 25th minute to seal the emphatic victory. The win was the first for AFC Leopards against Gor Mahia in five league attempts.

Speaking afterwards, the Ghanaian legend, who was overseeing his first Kenyan derby, admitted he was disappointed with how his Gor Mahia side showed up for the derby.

AFC Leopards looked the better side

“The opponents were more aggressive than us; they won the majority of the second balls, they were determined, and you could see an urgency from the way they played,” said Akonnor as quoted by Flashscore.

“I had cautioned my players earlier that we needed such a performance to prevail because games like that come with a lot of commitment, but we were not committed enough to play; we didn’t fight enough to win this game.”

Akonnor added: “From the onset, you could see that AFC Leopards were more aggressive than us, by winning the balls, they were determined, and they bullied us sometimes. In the game, I don’t know if officiating could have been better, but they bullied us.

“So it was upon us to react with a positive response, but we didn’t. I’m very disappointed with the way we played. AFC Leopards were better, they were aggressive, they had a plan, and they got a chance and scored the only goal… Well, congratulations to them.”

The defeat denied Gor Mahia an opportunity to reclaim their top spot in the 18-team Premier League table as they stayed second with 19 points, one less than leaders and champions Kenya Police FC.

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