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Mark Harrison: Ex-Southampton keeper in Kenya to take over at Gor Mahia
The tactician was at Camp Toyoyo on Saturday and witnessed K'Ogalo battle AFC Leopards in a friendly match
English coach Mark Harrison has arrived in Kenya to take charge of the Football Kenya Federation Premier League side Gor Mahia.
Harrison was at Camp Toyoyo on Saturday as Gor Mahia engaged AFC Leopards in a friendly game.
The former Chippa United head coach was in the stands as the two local giants played a friendly game after deciding to boycott a Premier League fixture that was scheduled to take place at Thika Stadium.
K'Ogalo won the game 1-0 courtesy of a goal scored by Samuel Onyango.
The former Southampton goalkeeper is expected to fill the space that was left by Carlos Manuel Vaz Pinto, who left the club in July after helping Gor Mahia win the FKF Shield Cup against AFC Leopards. Vaz Pinto's last league game was a 2-1 defeat to Tusker.
Sammy Omollo, who has been in charge since he was Vaz Pinto's assistant, is also expected to assume the same position under Harrison. Omollo has been acting as an interim head coach and has overseen three games, where Gor Mahia have lost two and drawn in another.
Goal had revealed the Englishman was at the forefront of being appointed as the Gor Mahia head coach and a source who revealed the development pointed out that experience was a key consideration when the club appoint a coach.
"Experience is a key ingredient and that has always guided us in recruiting the previous coaches and it is not going to be different this time around. We have always selected top-notch coaches and the results have shown we have been doing a great recruitment job," said the source.
Harrison played for Southampton between 1977 and 1979, was at Stoke City between 1982 and 1984, and the two clubs are among eight sides he featured for during his active playing career.
Harrison has coached 13 clubs, and among them are Chippa United and Golden Arrows of the Premier Soccer League in South Africa, and Zimbabwe's PSL teams Harare City and Highlanders FC, as well as Botswana's Township Rollers.
Gor Mahia will play Kakamega Homeboyz and KCB in the next two Premier League games on August 7 and 11, respectively.
