Gor Mahia assistant coach Sammy ‘Pamzo' Omollo has refuted claims that the duo of Wilson Silva and Jules Ulimwengu have abandoned the Kenyan champions.
Speculation had escalated that the two dependable strikers had bolted out of K’Ogalo fold in a huff after going for some months without pay.
However, Omollo dismissed the claims as just rumours , insisting that both Silva and Ulimwengu are still very much part of the squad.
“Both Silva and Ulimwengu are still with us. Jules is still at home resting with a bout of Malaria after an international assignment with the national team.
“Silva is still a young boy and being away from family took a huge toll on him. So, we allowed time to go and link up with them during the break,” said Pamzo.
Omollo said Gor Mahia have players who are experienced enough to surmount their miserable start to the season and battle successfully for the title.
“Our players are so committed to achieving their goals. Sometimes in football, it's quality that matters and Gor Mahia have the quality to last all the way to the final lap,” said Omollo.
“We can't really say we are now out of contention simply because we are seventh on the log. It's only because we have played 12 games while other teams already have 16 matches.
“Realistically, it's too early to write us off. You can't start predicting who will win the title after 12 matches. We still have an opportunity because we have many games remaining
Omollo trashed claims that the 18-time Kenyan champions were being investigated for match-fixing.
Sometime in February, the club's leadership said they had launched investigations into match-fixing following a spell of unimpressive results in the league. Within that period, the goalkeeping department was overhauled, witnessing the departure of goalkeeper trainer Willis Ochieng who was replaced by Jerim Onyango.
“Gor Mahia have never been involved in any match-fixing. Personally, I'm not for the idea of any coach, any player or any club fixing matches.
“It is up-to relevant authorities to see to it that the vice is stopped,” he added.
“Everybody experienced challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. Gor have a battle at hand against Nairobi City Stars at Moi Stadium, Kasarani on Sunday in one of the fixtures lined up to mark the resumption of the Football Kenya Federation Premier League after a long break occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.
They resumed training last week after an unsuccessful attempt at introducing the virtual training program that experienced a hiccup after players downed their tools demanding salaries for February and March.
