Gor Mahia interim coach Zedekiah Otieno welcomes pressure amid tight title race: ‘It is a team of high demands’

Gor Mahia interim coach Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno is unfazed by talk of pressure on his job at the club as he leads the team amid tough competition in the title race.

Zico was handed the reins on a temporary basis following the sacking of Brazilian Leonardo Neiva and has steered the club well even though there have been some bumps on the road.

Having enjoyed a three-match winning run, Gor Mahia suffered a 1-0 loss to Bidco United before a 1-1 draw with Shabana was followed by a 1-0 loss to Kenya Police but they bounced back to beat Ulinzi Stars 3-0 in midweek.

Gor Mahia will aim to close the gap at the top of the FKFPL log with a win over Kariobangi Sharks while Leopards look to get back to winning ways against a resilient Bandari FC.

It is such inconsistent results that have put Zico under pressure somewhat with the ever-demanding K’Ogalo faithful asking the tough questions.

“Pressure is always part of this job of coaching Gor Mahia. It is a team of high demands, it is not just me who is under pressure but the team as well,” Zico told

“But I am happy to see the players work well and to come out of pressure in every game. We have shown character. For us, we just need to keep working.”

Zico’s men will need to show character when they host Kariobangi Sharks on Sunday in what appears to be a must-win match given their recent form and where they are on the table.

Gor Mahia are in fifth place on 21 points from 13 matches, six behind joint leaders KCB and Tusker FC, although they have two matches over the bankers.

It means they need to win to catch up with the leading duo given the likes of Kenya Police and Bandari are also firmly in the title race.