Gor Mahia head coach, Jonathan McKinstry, has said his players are ready to face their rivals in the upcoming Kenyan Premier League season.
McKinstry, 37, is convinced they have stropped their talons well enough to claw their way to a 20th Kenyan Premier League title following heightened activities in the preseason.
“We are all eagerly awaiting the start of the FKF Premier League to showcase the talented mixture of experience and youth that have been working tirelessly over recent weeks,” McKinstry said.
“Preparations for the new season are progressing to plan with fitness levels, and players are adapting well to new tactical ideas,” he added. McKinstry said they have had remarkable preparations and pledged to deliver an improved season.
“On Saturday and Sunday, we had good performances against our fellow Kenyan Premier League rivals. The main aim was to get ready for the upcoming season.
“I thought we saw some good things from Gor but also there are still some things to work on so it is another step in our journey,” the head coach said. The 19-time Kenyan Premier League champions registered an emphatic 3-0 victory over fellow top-flight rivals FC Talanta in a friendly match at the Camp Toyoyo Grounds on Saturday.
They, however, ate the humble pie after crashing to Posta Rangers by a solitary goal at the same venue the following day.
McKinstry will be keen to plug the void left by forward Samuel Onyango who is likely to be unveiled by Zambian Super League side, Kabwe Warriors, as their new signing any time this week.
Onyango made a trip to Zambia earlier last week to complete a move to the side. The Harambee Stars forward was released by the club two weeks ago and was not among the players, who were officially introduced during the sponsorship agreement between the club and Sportpesa a month ago.
The Irish tactician said he would rummage through the huge pool of academy players to find a suitable replacement.
Onyango penned a long-term deal with Gor Mahia in November 2017 from rivals Ulinzi Stars and went on to lift three consecutive top-flight titles with the club during 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons.
Speaking earlier, Onyango confirmed that McKinstry had informed him he was not part of his plans and the club had no intention of renewing his contract which was to end in November.
At Kabwe Warriors, he is expected to step into the shoes of former AFC Leopards and Kariobangi Sharks forward Harrison Mwendwa who joined Singida Big Stars in Tanzania in July. Onyango joins Ugandan midfielder Hashim Sempala, his former teammate at Gor Mahia, at Kabwe.
