Sofapaka coach Baraza wary of Gor Mahia quality as they face off again

BetOdds KPL Sofapaka v Gor Mahia Sofapaka Gor Mahia

The Batoto ba Mungu coach cautions his players to anticipate a tough game against K’Ogalo when they clash on Saturday

Sofapaka coach John Baraza anticipates a tough game when they face Gor Mahia in a Kenyan Premier League (KPL) match on Saturday.

The two sides are meeting again after just two weeks, after Gor Mahia won the first round fixture 2-1 courtesy of goals from Lawrence Juma and captain Kenneth Muguna at Moi Stadium in Kisumu last month.

As the two sides prepare to face off again in the second round tie, Baraza has warned his charges to be cautious against the Kenyan champions.

“I won’t take the Gor Mahia game lightly. It’s my hope we will carry the fighting spirit and attitude against Mathare United into that game,” Baraza is quoted by the Standard.

“We’ve to make sure we got off to a good start and make things difficult for them.

“But with the quality Gor possess and their current form, we expect nothing short of a tough game. However, the Kisumu result (losing 2-1) will have no bearing on this match.”

Despite drifting out of the title race, the former Kenyan international is adamant the 2009 league champions will finish in a better position this season than the previous campaign.

“Everything is intact. The spirit is there and the will is there from the boys. In football, there are such moments where you perform well but you don’t get the desired results,” Baraza continued.

“For sure, we still have a long way to go. But like you are aware we still have a lot of points to fight for starting with the Gor Mahia match. We will keep on fighting for all the remaining points.”

Even though inconsistency has been Sofapaka’s main problem this season, Baraza was pleased with his side’s fighting spirit in last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Mathare United in Machakos.

Sofapaka came from behind to share the spoils with the Slum Boys in an end-to-end game before Gor trounced Nzoia Sugar 3-0 to open up a four-point gap at the top of the table.

And unlike K'Ogalo (44 points), who are on course of their record 19th league title, Batoto ba Mungu (27) have been blowing hot and cold throughout the season.

2020-02-07 10:00:01

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