This archive report was first published on 18 August 2019.
On a sunny Sunday afternoon at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos, Lawrence Juma emerged as the hero, scoring the decisive goal that propelled Gor Mahia to a 1-0 victory over Bandari in the 2019/20 Kenyan Premier League Super Cup final.
Despite their triumph, the Gor Mahia players had to settle for the trophy and medals, but no cash prize, due to the financial struggles plaguing Kenyan sports.
The match began slowly, with the first half yielding no shots on target and only one corner in favor of Bandari.
As the game progressed, Gor Mahia coach Steven Pollack made strategic substitutions, introducing Nicholas Kipkirui and Kennedy Agogo Otieno in place of Francis Afiriye and Samuel Onyango.
However, the new additions failed to yield immediate results, with Clifton Miheso's crosses not meeting their intended targets.
Lawrence Juma's thunderbolt shot in the 70th minute proved to be the turning point, as he capitalized on a fine cross from Kenneth Muguna to seal the win for Gor Mahia.
The victory marked a redemption for Gor Mahia, who had lost the previous year's final to Kariobangi Sharks by the same margin.
With the continental games on the horizon, both teams will now shift their focus to their respective campaigns, with Bandari set to travel to Sudan next weekend.
