Tears flow among K’Ogalo players and fans

By Gilbert Wandera

There were tears and mourning when centre referee Damaris Kimani blew the final whistle to signal the end of Saturday’s Kenyan Premier League (KPL) match between Gor Mahia and Thika United.

It was a major heart-ache for Gor players and fans with the realisation that the 1-1 tie had denied their team the title.

Players had to be comforted off the pitch and fans stared in disbelief after the final whistle.

The mood at the end of the match was a major contrast to the one prior to kick-off.

Hours before kick-off, City Stadium was busting with anticipation before the title decider.

Fans in the club’s famous green colour turned up early and were kept entertained with blazing music and they danced themselves lame.

Every indication by the Gor fans was that their team would lift the title. They carried high their own replica trophies in mock celebration of what to expect at the end of 90 minutes.

There was even a ‘cabinet’ to carry the trophy after the match. The fans went into a frenzy when the original trophy was carried inside the pitch by two models, showing that they could not wait to lift it.

Most of the fans, who were orderly, stayed at  their designated place. Security was tight with several dignitaries among them Prime Minister’s wife Ida Odinga, Nairobi Mayor George Aladwa and top football officials in attendance.

The green and white colour set a perfect mood for the clash and when it kicked off at 3pm most of the fans were on their feet cheering on the home team to victory.

One would have expected Thika United to be intimidated by the huge crowd that turned up for the match, but when Damaris Kimani blew the whistle to start off the tie, the visitors appeared the better side and showed a lot of confidence on the ball.

When Kennedy Otieno Scored the opening for Thika, one could almost hear a pin drop in the pitch as the stadium went quiet with everyone well aware of the implications of the result.

With every passing minute, anxiety was evident among thousands of fans and with news trickling in that Tusker were leading against Nairobi City Stars, desperation set in at City Stadium.  When it was eventually confirmed, there was plenty of heart-break.