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Gor Mahia coach Hassan Oktay has termed the 2018/2019 SportPesa Premier League season one of the toughest in his fledgling coaching career.
Oktay, who has previously coached in England and Asia, joined Gor Mahia in December last year taking over from Briton Dylan Kerr.
Tasked with managing the champions through four competitions, Oktay has been taken charge in the Caf Champions League, Confederation Cup, the SportPesa Shield and the SportPesa Super Cup where Gor have bowed out without silverware.
“As champions you expect to have a tight schedule where you have to play catch-up matches, but this one is abnormal. It’s the first time I’m facing this. I’ve managed in England before but I haven’t seen something like this,” Oktay told Nation Sport.
In the SportPesa Premier League, Gor’s only remaining avenue for a trophy, Oktay has found himself between a rock and a hard place even while rotating his squad.
“We played on Friday then on Sunday. We returned to the pitch on Tuesday then we play again on Thursday and finally on Saturday. It’s crazy to have five matches in nine days. We’re lucky not to have any serious injuries in our team, just some minor knocks. It’s tough but I have tried to give players a lot of rest to ensure they are fresh,” he added singling out Shafik Batambuze as the only concern in terms of injuries.
While Gor Mahia have scrapped through the congested fixtures unscathed, Kenya’s other representatives at the continental stage this season, Kariobangi Sharks, have felt the weight of the punishing schedule that has left them without a win in the last eight league matches.
In their midweek match against AFC Leopards, coach William Muluya had to play with a makeshift back four, with Michael Bodo playing at centre half while academy graduate Ian Taifa started at right back. With Geoffrey Shiveka and John Kuol all nursing injuries, this reorganisation was inevitable.
Harrison Mwendwa, Patillah Omotto, George Abege and Eric Kapaito have also been sidelined at some point in the season leaving Muluya with a depleted squad.
