Tusker and Gor Mahia will face off for the first time this season in the FKF Super Cup on Wednesday.
The two teams will meet in the season curtain-raiser at Thika Municipal Stadium by virtue of Tusker winning the FKF Premier League title while Gor Mahia clinched the Shield Cup at the end of last season.
With the new season set to kick off on Saturday, the teams will use the match to gauge their preparedness as Tusker will face AFC Leopards in the opener while Gor Mahia will come up against KCB.
| Game | Tusker vs Gor Mahia |
| Date | Wednesday, September 22, 2021 |
| Time | 13:00 (EAT) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In Kenya, the game will be LIVE.
| Kenya TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| StarTimes/BTV | NONE |
Outside Kenya, the game will be LIVE.
| Outside (Kenya) TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| StarTimes | NONE |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Tusker squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Patrick Matasi, Emery Mvuyekure and Brian Bwire. |
| Defenders | Eugine Asike, Kalos Kirenge, Jimmy Mbugua, Kevin Monyi, Daniel Sakari, Hillary Wandera, and Charles Momanyi. |
| Midfielders | Humphrey Mieno, Jackson Macharia, Boniface Muchiri, Apollo Otieno, Clyde Senaji, and Teddy Osok. |
| Forwards | Joshua Ibrahim and John Ngujuna. |
Tusker will head into the game as favourites as they have been together since last season concluded.
The Brewers have been in camp under coach Robert Matano as they were preparing for the Caf Champions League and they have reached the first round after eliminating AS Arta Solar of Djibouti on a 4-1 aggregate win.
Tusker drew the first leg away 1-1 and returned home to fire three goals past Arta Solar and they will now face Egyptian giants Zamalek in the next round.
The Super Cup will give Matano the opportunity to gauge some of his new players and he is confident they will give him a win against Gor Mahia.
“We are ready for the season opener, we have been training hard for the game and we want to start the season on a positive note,” Matano told Goal.
Some of the new players likely to start in the game are Shami Kibwana signed from Kakamega Homeboyz, Clyde Senaji from AFC Leopards, and goalkeeper Patrick Matasi, who joined after leaving St. George of Ethiopia.
Probable XI for Tusker: Mvuyekure, Asike, Kirenge, Sakari, Wandera, Mieno, Macharia, Senaji, Osok, Ibrahim, Njuguna.
| Position | Gor Mahia squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Caleb Otieno, and Gad Mathews, and Adama Keita. |
| Defenders | Geoffrey Ochieng, Joachim Oluoch, Philemon Otieno, Kevin Wesonga, Fred Nkata, Andrew Juma, Frank Odhiambo, and Harun Shakava. |
| Midfielders | Ernest Wendo, Alpha Onyango, Peter Lwasa, Sydney Ochieng, Nicholas Omondi, and Victor Ayugi. |
| Forwards | Jules Ulimwengu, Boniface Omondi, Tito Okello, and John Macharia. |
Gor Mahia will also get the chance to gauge their new players with Harambee Stars winger Cliff Nyakeya among the arrivals.
Coach Mark Harrison is keen to start with a win and despite losing a number of players he is confident of doing well.
“We know it is a new season, we did not finish the season well last time out and the best way to start it is by winning the Super Cup,” Harrison told Goal.
Some of the players who have left Gor Mahia include defender Charles Momanyi, who joined Tusker and is likely set to play against them, Kenneth Muguna, and Clifton Miheso.
Probable XI for Gor Mahia: Mathews, Ochieng, Otieno, Odhiambo, Shakava, Wendo, Omondi, B. Omondi, Ulimwengu, Okello, Macharia.
Match Preview
Tusker dethroned Gor Mahia as champions after they topped the 18-team table with 65 points from 32 matches while Gor were crowned Shield Cup winners after a 4-1 penalty shoot-out win against rivals AFC Leopards in the final.
Last season, it was Gor Mahia who won the first meeting between the two sides 2-1 but Tusker recovered to win 2-1 in the second-round meeting.
In the 2019-20 season, it was Gor Mahia who carried the day as they managed a double over the Brewers – winning the first meeting 2-1 before demolishing them 5-3 in the second meeting.
