Gor Mahia stamped their FKF Premier League title credentials with a gritty 1-0 victory over Shabana in a delayed, heated and dramatic contest at Gusii Stadium on Sunday 4 May.Already built up as a high-stakes contest, the meeting between the two sides dubbed ‘Nyanza Derby’ was delayed for 42 minutes following long hours of tension between both sets of fans prior to the scheduled 1400 EAT kickoff time.Unfortunate scenes at the Gusii Stadium #FootballKE pic.twitter.com/ehZlPE1Yff— Ole Teya (@TeyaKevin) May 4, 2025 As per reports, several fans sustained serious injuries after violence broke out between both fanbases, who disagreed on the number of sections allocated to them in the 12,000-seater facility.Daily Nation reported that Gor Mahia fans, who had been allocated three stadium sections as compared to Shabana’s seven, forced their way into the opposition territory, causing the sorry but precedented fracas.It took until 1438 EAT for the players to finally set foot on the pitch, with calm apparently restored.And just like expected, the game boiled down to a physical contest, with both sides looking to claim fancied bragging rights, and a shot at the league championship.Gor Mahia keeper Gad Matthews was forced to be on top his game early on, as he came up with big stops to repel a hungry Shabana, playing in front of a mammoth crowd, and ready to make a mark, if not yet visible to many.Darius Msagha was the constant thorn, first firing a low shot straight at Matthews, before forcing the calm custodian to parry an inviting cross in the area.Defending league champions K’Ogalo, on the other hand, failed to threaten much, and did just well to keep the tie level at the break.##NAJAVA_MECA_8901223##Both sides made two changes in the second-half, seeking to get something to go.The physical ride witnessed in the first period was played out again in front of the fans once again, until the proverbial hell broke loose, once again.It all started from a whip of a boot from substitute Bryson Wangai, whose corner from the left found an unmarked Sylvester Owino to head past Maxwell Mulili in the 79th minute.🟢 | MATCH UPDATE Sylvester Owino puts us ahead with a head. Sema kichwa kama teke…. 80′ | Shabana 0-1 Gor Mahia #Sirkal pic.twitter.com/IzSCLCnvWk— GOR MAHIA FC (@OfficialGMFC) May 4, 2025 The goal seemed to spark outrage from the home fans, who again delayed the restart, forcing a 10-minute stoppage, before play resumed in the first minute of added time.After a brief resumption, another stoppage ensued, this time coming in with a minute left to play, and lasting a whooping 21 minutes.If anyone thought the game was going to be smooth, they were totally wrong.Center referee Israel Mpaima finally called an end to the contest after 115 minutes. Whoosh!
