Charles Akonnor Warns Gor Mahia After Costly Errors in Tusker Defeat

The match, played at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday, August 23, exposed several weaknesses in Gor Mahia's defence, with Francis Oduor, Eugene Ikutwa and Ian Simiyu all finding the net for Tusker.

Ikutwa's own goal briefly gave Gor Mahia hope of mounting a comeback, but the Brewers responded to restore their two-goal cushion and ultimately secured the trophy.

The defeat has given Akonnor and his technical staff plenty to consider as Gor Mahia continue preparations for the 2026/27 season, in which they will look to defend their FKF Premier League title.

Akonnor concerned by recurring mistakes

Speaking after the match, Akonnor admitted that the defensive lapses were particularly worrying and stressed that the team can no longer hide behind the excuse of experimenting with players and combinations.

The Ghanaian coach pointed out that the players who started against Tusker are individuals he already considers capable of competing for regular places in his team.

He believes Gor Mahia failed to meet the required standards in several areas, particularly when defending, while individual errors directly contributed to Tusker's goals.

Akonnor also warned that the recurring nature of the mistakes makes finding a solution an urgent priority ahead of the new campaign.

“We made funny mistakes, and out of that we conceded goals. It is becoming a little bit of a problem, and we have to solve it quickly before anything happens. We are not testing; we have gone past testing,” Charles Akonnor said.

Gor Mahia must find solutions quickly

Akonnor further insisted that Sunday's match was not an opportunity to assess players, arguing that those selected were already trusted members of his squad.

The coach acknowledged that Gor Mahia struggled in important areas of the game and particularly criticised their defensive organisation.

He also noted that individual mistakes have repeatedly cost the team and called for the technical bench and players to address the problem before the start of the competitive season.

“Today, those who started are players we can close our eyes and say they should play; it’s not about testing. We didn’t do well in certain areas of the game, especially when we were defending, and that has affected us today. In fact, the goals that they scored were a result of individual mistakes, and it has been happening a lot. We want to be quick to solve that problem before anything else.”

The loss provides Akonnor with an early warning ahead of a demanding campaign. With Gor Mahia expected to compete on multiple fronts, eliminating the defensive errors will be crucial if the Kenyan giants are to successfully defend their league crown.

For Akonnor, the priority now is clear: Gor Mahia must quickly correct the mistakes that proved costly against Tusker before they begin affecting the team when competitive league action gets underway.