Gor shifts focus to Everton after Shield Cup exit

Kenyan Premier League (KPL) record time champions Gor Mahia will jet out to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on Tuesday morning ahead of their ‘super friendly’ against English Premier League side Everton.

Gor, who won the inaugural Super Cup last month to book a date with the Toffees, will play the English side on Thursday at the Tanzania National Stadium.

K’Ogalo however lost their last home match in their home soil before their journey against Bandari, who eliminated them from the GOTv Shield Cup in the round of 32 on Sunday in post match penalties.

Newly hired coach Dylan Kerr will lead the East African giants in the eagerly awaited friendly, having watched the side go down in the Shield Cup clash at the Thika Sub County Stadium hours after arriving in the country.

All the club’s registered players will travel for the match, which could see England and Manchester United all time top scorer Wayne Rooney feature after completing his return move to Goodison Park on Sunday.

“We will leave at 6.40am (+3GMT) EAT on Tuesday. Everything is in place for all players to travel. It will be a good experience for the team, even as the new coach starts his duty in the high profile friendly.,” Gor’s CEO Lordvick Aduda told.

It is not clear whether Gor will play Everton’s senior team, although reports by British media that Rooney could play an ‘unknown Kenyan team’ suggest coach Ronald Koeman may parade his first team in the match.

A KPL AllStars team was handed a junior side by English side Hull City earlier in the year, at the KC Stadium (England) in a friendly arranged by the organizers of the Super Cup.

Teenager Amos Nondi, who was member of Gor’s squad that beat rivals AFC Leopards 3-0 to clinch a ticket to the rare friendly, will miss the trip after signing for Georgian top tier side FC Kolkheti Poti.