Gor Mahia fire three more players

GOR Mahia coach Zdravko Logarusic continued the purge in his squad as the team prepares for the second leg of the 2012 Kenya Premier League season that kicks off this weekend. Logarusic, the unassuming Croatian who courted controversy for summarily sacking eight players weeks after taking charge of the club has found forwards Ibrahim Kitawi, John Kiplangat and Duncan Owiti surplus to requirements at the K’Ogallo stable. “We want to be the team to beat when the league resumes and that means we have to strengthen our squad and improve our all round performance in the second round so that we can challenge to be at the top of the standings,” said Logarusic.

The club has netted six players in the current transfer window with some featuring in their 3-1 friendly win over Tusker last weekend. The six include City Stars’ Dan Sserunkuma, whose deal is yet to be finalised but talks are at an advanced stage and all indications show that he will be a Gor player when the second leg kicks off.

Others joining K’Ogallo are Rangers duo of midfielder Joseph Armando Njuguna and Nicholas Auma, Ugandan Edward Mubiru, Cameroonian striker Itubu Imbem and Anthony Gathu. Gor have been struggling in front of goal this season and have only managed to score only 11 goals in 15 matches. Strikers George Midenyo, Baldwin Ngwa and Edwin Lavatsa have all failed in consistency test in front of goal, managing less than six goals between them in fifteen league matches. The acquisition of Sserunkuma and Imbem will add the necessary firepower to their attack.

“If we can manage to score goals, then we can collect maximum points. We want to take pressure off the strikers so that they can be composed and ensure they improve in quality in front of goal,” added the coach. That Rama Salim, an attacking midfielder, is Gor’s top scorer with five goals speaks volumes of the strikers at the club.

While their forward line has been tame, rumours have been rife that international defender Pascal Ochieng, is attracting interest from the powers that be at the 12-time league champions. K’Ogallo currently sit ninth on the league table with 20 points, a massive twelve points behind the league leaders Sofapaka.They travel to Kakamega today, where they will face sixth place Western Stima on Saturday.