Is Gor Mahia coach Charles Akonnor living on borrowed time?

It is no longer a secret that Gor Mahia coach Charles Akonnor is under pressure.

If he does not turn the team’s fortunes around soon, he risks becoming the seventh coaching casualty of the FKF Premier League this season.

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Akonnor began his tenure at Gor Mahia on a high, guiding the team to a strong start.

However, the past month has been a stark contrast for the former Black Stars midfielder, who is now fighting to save his job even though the club sits third on the FKF Premier League table, just one point behind leaders Kenya Police FC, with both teams still having two games in hand.

After an opening day defeat to Bidco United, Gor Mahia bounced back by winning six of their next seven matches, with the only setback being a 1-1 draw against Ulinzi Stars.

Many pundits hailed them as clear title favorites until a shocking 4-1 loss to bottom-placed APS Bomet FC and a 1-0 defeat to AFC Leopards in the Mashemeji Derby.

Their struggles continued on Friday when they squandered a 1-0 lead to draw 1-1 with Bandari in Mombasa.

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Following the Mashemeji Derby setback, club chairman Ambrose Rachier quickly moved to dismiss calls for Akonnor’s sacking, expressing confidence in the coach.

“Losing a match does not automatically mean a coach should be dismissed. We have lost three matches and are still third in the league with games to play. The focus should be on learning and improving,” Rachier told the media. “If we fired coaches every time they lost, there would probably be only one manager left in the FKF Premier League because all have experienced defeats this season.”

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Behind the scenes, tensions were high. Officials reportedly warned Akonnor that he must stabilize the team or face dismissal.

“The derby loss was not taken lightly by some officials. The coach was scolded and warned about an impending dismissal if results do not improve. Everything happened openly in the dressing room, and now it is up to all of us in the team to perform and reduce the pressure,” a source close to K’Ogalo told Mozzart Sport.

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After the draw with Bandari, currently under caretaker coach Razak Siwa, Akonnor attributed the result to the Mombasa heat and missed opportunities.

“We could not play our usual game because of the field conditions, so we opted for a medium press. It earned us a goal, and we had good moments, especially after the break, but we did not convert our chances. In the second half, the sun and the heat affected us, and we tired. We had clear opportunities but did not take them,” Akonnor explained.

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So far this season, six coaches have been dismissed in the FKF Premier League.

They include Ken Odhiambo and Mohamed Borji of Bandari, Michael Nam of APS Bomet, Samuel Omolo of Posta, Dunstan Nyaudo of Ulinzi, and Ettiene Ndiyaragijje of Kenya Police FC.