Rachier says inside job fuelled Gor trouble

Report by Milton Ochieng

Gor Mahia FC Chairman Ambrose Rachier has said the troubles that rocked the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) club in recent weeks were fuelled from within by its own officials.

The declaration is the latest of barbs exchanged by Gor officials after what had started as a mere go-slow over salary arrears escalated into an ugly player mutiny.

Rachier was allegedly accused of dissipating transfer fee obtained the sale of Ugandan left-back Godfrey Walusimbi to South African Premier Soccer club Kaizer Chiefs.

In denying the accusations, Rachier reportedly threatened to sue the club’s Organizing Secretary Judith ‘Nyangi’ Anyango for defaming him but emphasised the matter has now been handled in an amicable manner.

“Gor Mahia is not the only club that experienced delays in salaries payment. In any given institution, at one point there can be challenges and the best to be done is to look for solutions and that cannot be done through incitements,” Rachier told Ramogi FM.

The long-serving official was apologetic to the K’Ogalo faithful after the in-house feuds spilled into the public as he urged every member of the club to ‘pull in the same direction’.

Rachier admitted the team’s woeful run toward the end of the season had done little to diffuse the situation as the team that had virtually gone unbeaten all season went on a shocking five-match losing streak.

Gor’s poor form on the pitch eventually left a dampener on their title coronation party after they let slip a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Mathare United, prompting an impasioned assessment by head coach Dylan Kerr.

“What I saw here and what I’ve seen in the past few weeks is not professional at all and people have got to watch out because there are going to be sweeping changes at this club.

“Ultimately these results are also a reflection of my job; our ratings are going down and that is unacceptable. Gor is a big brand that should not be tainted,” Kerr said in an angry post-match interview.

Gor finished their KPL campaign with 75 points, two more than they managed last year during Kerr’s debut season and enjoyed a stellar run on the continental front after reaching the CAF Confederation Cup group stage.