SportPesa League Player of the Month for December, Joe Waithira, played down Muranga Seal’s defeat at the hands of Gor Mahia, terming it as part of the intrigues of football as a game. Waithira captained his team as they faced Kogalo at the Kasarani Stadium, with the Seals looking to extend their unbeaten run. However, his team let a comfortable lead slip through their fingers with Gor Mahia sealing the fate of their opponents with a late winner.
Waithira bagged four goals in December and eight shots on target. He was picked ahead of other nominees, including November SportPesa League Player of the Month Paul Okoth, Mara Sugar’s Jimmy Owili, and Nairobi United Winger Ovella Ochieng. Other nominees were goalkeeper Bixente Lizarazu and Ingwe’s Tyson Otieno.
Murang’a Seals stun Gor Mahia in minutes
Joe’s individual brilliance earned his team four points, including his winning goal versus Police FC and the equalizer in a 1-1 draw to Nairobi United. He managed eight shots on target and created four clear chances in that month. The midfielder was poised to continue with his great form in the face of the SportPesa Premier League’s most decorated club.
Three minutes into the game, Waithira scored the opener from a set piece, bringing his goal tally in the 2025/26 season to eight. He had won a free kick after being fouled near the center of the pitch. The ball was set free after Gor Mahia attempted to clear the cross, creating an opening for Waithira, who fired a shot to the bottom-right corner of the goal.
Within 18 minutes, Muranga Seal doubled their lead with an impressive counterattack. Their opponents made another error after taking a corner kick and losing the ball. An effort to clear the ball found Franis Memusi, who lobbed the ball over goalkeeper Gad Matthews from outside the box to make it 2-0. At halftime, it was Seal’s game to lose.
In Football, 90 Minutes Is a Long Time
Waithira led his team out of the dugout with confidence that the win was 45 minutes away, but they seemed to have run out of luck. Two errors by Murang’a Seal allowed Gor Mahia to equalize within the first five minutes of the first half. First, Muranga Seal’s goalkeeper came out of his line to claim a cross only to drop the ball in the 18-yard box, and Kogalo pulled one back.
In the 47th minute, a shot by Paul Ochuoga was deflected to the back of the net by a Seals defender. Waithira charged his team not to lose momentum, and they managed to keep Kogalo at bay for most of the second half. Nonetheless, Gor scored the winning goal from yet another deflection at the expense of Muranga seal, handing Ebenezer Assiafuah his SportPesa League debut goal that defined top-flight football backed by SportPesa Kenya.
Waithira’s Reaction After the Game
The SportPesa December Player of the Month applauded his team for putting up a fight despite not securing the three points. He stated that, despite starting the game strongly, his team was unfortunate not to see it through to the end. The captain explained that such happens in football and can happen to every team.
Nonetheless, he urged his teammates to look past the defeat and focus on the upcoming games, as there was more to play for. The weather allowed the team to continue with hard work, which had seen them attain the league’s longest award-winning and unbeaten run. Their newfound success followed the appointment of Osborne Monday as coach.
The defeat leaves Murang’a Seals in ninth position on the SportPesa League standings with 21 points. Their next game will be against Bidco United. On the other hand, Gor Mahia’s three points brought their tally to 30.
Conclusion
The SportPesa League Player of the Month award is an accolade for high-performing players. Some of the parameters assessed include players’ goals, creativity, impact, leadership, and mathematical contributions to the team’s winning. All the data is derived from a system worked on by league sponsors SportPesa and Tisini Data Company.
