Former Gor Mahia custodian Jerim Onyango has revealed he still feels pain when he remembers the goal he conceded against Thika United that denied Gor Mahia the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) crown in 2012.
K’Ogalo were well-placed to win the league title after 17 years as they needed just a win against Thika United to clinch the title ahead of Tusker but instead, they settled for a 1-1 draw and thus allowing the Brewers to be crowned champions.
Gor Mahia had already taken the lead and were leading 1-0 before Onyango misjudged the flight of a cross allowing Kennedy Otieno to equalise for Thika United in the final game of the 2012 campaign.
Gor Mahia fans including the then coach Zdravko Logarusic could not imagine missing out on the title on the last day, with K’Ogalo fans resorting to chaos after the match, leaving scores injured and property damaged as the mourning Green Army took out their frustrations on anything.
“It was one of the worst moments for me especially being a player, a goalkeeper and a captain for Gor Mahia,” Onyango is quoted by The Star.
“This is especially having had a very impressive run all season until things went wrong in our last match against Thika United.
“You know by that time, Gor Mahia had gone for 17 years without winning the prestigious league title and expectations were high and everyone was anxious. Conceding a goal which looked easy made them see as if I had denied them a chance to clinch the title.”
He added: “The match ended in a 1-1 draw enabling Tusker to be crowned champions. It was a difficult time for me and at the same time, it motivated me to work even extra hard the coming season.
“For sure it wasn’t easy coping with the situation at hand. It was difficult to overcome but we had to encourage each other that there was the second time and what we needed was to work harder and this eventually bore fruits the following seasons.”
Logarusic had been livid the entire match, throwing his file to the turf in disgust. Even as a foreigner Logarusic knew what the league entailed.
“He [Logarusic] felt really bad because we had lost the league by a whisker,” Onyango continued. “There were some moments in the changing room where everyone was just quiet and meditating.
“We thank God that as a team, no one blamed one another for the draw but encouraged each other never to look down.”
They stuck together as a team, working hard the following season, and results for the next three campaigns put Jerry’s name among the pantheon of great players to have captained Gor Mahia to a league title.