New Gor Mahia coach Sinisa Mihic holds the club's jersey during his unveiling on February 3, 2025 in Nairobi.
New Gor Mahia coach Sinisa Mihic, unveiled on Monday, will have only four days to prepare the team before they face Mathare United in a Kenyan Premier League match at Dandora Stadium, Nairobi on Saturday.
The Croatian coach was unattached for two years but Gor Mahia went ahead to pick him as the man to lead the most successful football club in the country from a list of 40 who applied for the tough job.
Mihic's last work station was at four-time Kuwait Premier League champions Al-Samiya Sporting Club where he served as an assistant coach for a mere 16 days -- from February 12 to February 28, 2022.
Gor Mahia Chief Executive Officer Raymond Oruo said yesterday the Croatian should now be given time to deliver on his mandate instead of people dwelling on how he was recruited by the record champions.
“He is a qualified coach and we picked him among the 40 coaches who sent their application for the vacant job. How he landed this role is now water under the bridge but what he will do with the six months that he will be in charge is what matters,” said Oruo.
New Gor Mahia coach Sinisa Mihic is unveiled by chairman Ambrose Rachier on February 3, 2025.
“I can’t reveal the applicants for the job but, as the leadership of the club, we did what is best for the club by appointing an experienced and qualified coach,” added Oruo.
Mihic, 48, faces the daunting task of turning around the club's results as they seek to retain the league title they have won for a record-extending 21 times.
On Monday, Gor Mahia Chairman Ambrose Rachier said Mihic had been offered a six-month contract with the option of having it extended.
Rachier said the new coach is aware of the turbulence some of the foreign coaches have faced at the club from the highly demanding fans.
His predecessor, Leonardo Neiva was forced out in November after just four months following pressure by angry club fans unhappy with the string of poor results.
In his career spanning over 25 years, Mihic has coached in his native Croatia (NK Crikvenica), Kuwait (Al-Fahaheel), Saudi Arabia (Al-Ahli Saudi FC), Libya (Al Nasr) and Sudan (Al Merrikh).
Curiously, Mihic has not joined Gor with his chosen backroom staff. He will be deputised by Zedekiah Otieno, who was on the hot seat on an interim basis, and Michael Nam as co-assistant coaches, with Victor Nyauro as team manager and Boniface Olouch as goalkeeper trainer, together with other local trainers.
“Neiva lost the dressing room and we have told Mihic all that transpired and assured him of our support. The six-month performance will inform our next move,” said Rachier.
This is the fourth head coach Gor is having in the span of seven months. Neiva took over from Johnathan McKinstry in July last year after the Irish coach left to take the Gambia head coach job.
