Richard Omondi of KCB vies for the ball with Frank Ogolla of Gor Mahia/HANDOUT

KCB coach Robert Matano hailed his players’ discipline and resilience after the bankers handed Gor Mahia their first defeat of the 2026/27 SportPesa League season with a 2-1 victory at Moi Stadium, Embu, on Sunday.

KCB held on for all three points despite finishing the match with 10 men after Baron Ochieng was sent off in the 86th minute.

Matano was particularly impressed by his players’ ability to stick to the game plan against the defending champions, even under pressure.

“I am happy with the performance because the players followed the instructions and showed great character. We knew Gor Mahia would come at us, but we remained focused on our game plan,” said Matano.

Mambote Assis and Richard Omondi scored for KCB, while Alpha Onyango netted Gor Mahia’s consolation goal.

The victory was a reward for KCB’s work on their finishing after their previous outing against Mombasa United, with Matano pleased his players made better use of their scoring opportunities.

“We have been working on our finishing because creating chances is not enough. Today, we were more clinical, and that made the difference against a very strong opponent,” he added.

Gor Mahia coach Charles Akonnor was disappointed with his team’s display, blaming defensive lapses and their failure to convert chances.

The defeat comes amid questions over his team selection, with several key players reportedly left on the bench as he sought to manage fatigue during a demanding season.

Akonnor admitted his side had made costly mistakes but insisted they would learn from the setback. “We made mistakes that we should not be making at this level. KCB punished us, and we have to take responsibility for the result and work on correcting those mistakes,” said Akonnor.

He also urged Gor Mahia supporters to remain patient, insisting the defeat would not derail their ambitions of retaining the league title.

“We have a long season ahead, and one defeat does not change our ambitions. We must remain calm, analyse what went wrong and come back stronger in our next match,” he said.

KCB’s victory lifted them to 10 points, just two behind leaders Gor Mahia, who will be looking to bounce back when they face Nairobi United in their next fixture.