It seems like Nzoia Sugar midfield dynamo Kevin Juma will be joining 20-time Football Kenya Federation Premier League champions Gor Mahia. The recruitment team at Gor Mahia hardly ever gets it wrong and the signing of Juma makes this clearer.In a previous article, before the departure of Ugandan midfielder Shafiq Kagimu to North Macedonia. We looked at how the midfielder’s partnership with Ernest Wendo ideally won Coach Johnathan McKinstry the league. In this piece, we are going to look at why Juma’s capture is the perfect fit for Gor Mahia FC, a signing that could ideally have already bagged them a 21st league title. Maybe? Well, that is up for debate.Juma is a joy to watch, a midfield beast, literally. His physique is what you would want in your ideal defensive or holding midfielder. He has in his arsenal good defensive positioning, he is a smart 1v1 defender. Did I mention his physique? He is also a decent ball carrier, able to progress well through progressive carries or progressive passes. He has good close control, strong in the interceptions, and is the ideal first-phase player. For a minute I thought I was talking about Shafiq Kagimu bar the physique, yes! That is how good the K’Ogalo recruitment team is.##NAJAVA_MECA_7347198##In a heavy possession-based Nzoia Sugar side coached by Salim Babu, the midfielder was the key cog in their in-possession phases of play. This ensured he developed the ability to command the central areas of the pitch well. What was fascinating was how at Nzoia he was tasked as being the main transition interceptor. When Nzoia United lost the ball he was always well-positioned to intercept by cutting out a pass.Heading into the CAF competition, Gor Mahia was in need of such a player. A ball player who can also sniff out transition. In possession, K’Ogalo employ a back three, with the main emphasis in this phase being the creation of overloads. This form of play shows that a majority of the goals Gor was susceptible to conceding were from transitions. EXCLUSIVE: Gor Mahia complete the signing of Nzoia Sugar starIn possession, Gor Mahia tended to build from low and then go long in the channels. This was up until Kagimu came. He became the first phase orchestrator. With Juma in the team, Wendo will become the extra number behind the opposition line of pressure, Kevin Juma will therefore be able to provoke that line of pressure to jump and press. His composure on the ball will enable him to influence the second positions of advanced players in Coach McKinstry’s set up. He has the technical ability to instigate, especially with the quality of teammates he will have, interrelated movements that will allow the team to occupy the right spaces and invite pressure into given spaces so they are able to open up areas they want to have qualitative superiorities in for example between the lines with Austin Odhiambo. Keep a keen eye on Gor Mahia’s build-up schemes next season.Under Johnathan McKinstry, the need for a double pivot has become very important to counter the transitions. In Wendo, Gor Mahia have a proper defensive midfielder but age seems to also be catching up. Thus the double pivot allows him to shuffle well covering zones 5 and 4 instead of having him cover zones 5, 4, and 6.Exclusive: AFC Leopards set to offer Patrick Aussems new contractHowever, at Gor Mahia it is ideally how Wendo will complement Juma that is key. In Nzoia he was the main deep lying ball winning defensive midfielder denying him the freedom to dictate play. but at Gor Mahia the roles could be reversed. In a Wendo – Juma double pivot, Wendo will facilitate Juma’s strengths, granting him consistent license to carry the ball forward when in settled possession. The buildup, Juma will sort.It is a smart signing, who should slot into the Gor Mahia side well and adapt quickly to give his best levels.
