The reigning champions of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League, Gor Mahia, have officially appointed Sinisa Mihic from Croatia as the club’s new head coach for the remainder of the season.
“We are excited to introduce Sinisa Mihic as our new head coach, with assistance from Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno and Michael Nam. Welcome aboard, Coach Sinisa!” stated the club, which holds the record for most league titles in Kenya.
Mihic steps in to fill the void left by Leonardo Martins Neiva, who was relieved of his duties just six matches into the 2024/25 season. The Brazilian coach joined K’Ogalo at the beginning of the campaign, taking over from Johnathan McKinstry, who vacated his position towards the end of last season to take charge of the Gambia national team.
Neiva’s initial challenge was at the CECAFA Kagame Cup in Tanzania in July, where the team did not advance past the group stage. Gor Mahia stumbled out of the tournament after losing their Group B opener 1-0 to Zambian champions Red Arrows, drawing 1-1 with Djibouti Telekom, and ultimately succumbing to a 2-0 defeat against Al Hilal from Sudan, finishing without a single victory.
Gor Mahia Media
Following this, Martins Neiva took Gor Mahia into the CAF Champions League, where they faced El Merreikh from South Sudan in the first preliminary round. After losing the first leg 1-0 in Juba, K’Ogalo rebounded in the return leg, recording a convincing 5-1 victory at home to progress with a 5-2 aggregate score.
However, they faced a steep challenge in the second round, being drawn against last year’s champions Al Ahly from Egypt. Gor Mahia suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat at home, and despite Neiva’s optimism for a turnaround in Cairo, they were unable to break the slump, ultimately succumbing to another 3-0 loss, and exiting with a 6-0 aggregate score.
His tenure was cut short as he was dismissed after just six league matches.
Mihic joins Gor Mahia at a pivotal moment, with the team currently positioned third in the 18-team league standings, amassing 31 points from 18 matches. Their record includes 11 wins, four draws, and four losses, placing them six points behind joint leaders Kenya Police FC and Tusker.
Mihic’s appointment evokes mixed reactions from fans
The decision to appoint Mihic has sparked a variety of opinions among Gor Mahia supporters, who will see him assisted by Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno and Michael Nam.
Josh Champion is among those expressing dissatisfaction, arguing that Gor Mahia needs to move away from an obsession with foreign coaches: “The fixation on foreign coaches is bewildering. It’s time to trust our local coaches to take charge.”
Genga Silas agreed, stating: “There’s no need for foreign coaches; let’s promote our own talent.”
Dolph Ogutu added: “Do we believe we can’t succeed without foreign coaches? This undervalues our local talent; let’s elevate our own coaches.” Brayoh Wah Mavelah also queried: “Why must Gor Mahia continue relying on foreign managers for leadership? Can our homegrown coaches not achieve great results? Have we ever seen foreign clubs scouting our local talent?”
Lameck Otieno urged Mihic to guide Gor Mahia back to its rightful place at the top: “He better show us a return to greatness; the current state of Gor Mahia is a disappointment.” Roney Odhiambo advised caution, suggesting: “With Zico as his assistant, this coach might not last more than two weeks.”
Conversely, Steve Noel welcomed the appointment, expressing hope that Mihic would spearhead the quest for a league title: “With him onboard, we must secure the championship—this is where we belong.”
Others had differing views; Jack Owitti Owang referred to Mihic as simply another “tourist” in charge, while Billy Gilmour maintained a positive outlook: “Let the work commence; we’re not performing as we used to, and I hope he can restore our previous form.”
According to transfermarkt, Mihic’s last role was as an assistant manager for Al Salmiya SC in Kuwait, where he was dismissed due to the team’s poor performance in the domestic league.
His inaugural task with Gor Mahia will be their upcoming league match against the Brewers on Saturday, February 8th.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
Fanpage: SportArena.com.au.
LiveScore – Live Sports Results & Odds.
