On Unbeaten Streaks - Which Is the Longest In The League?

Last year K’Ogalo fans were treated to an incredible unbeaten run in the league on their way to extending a record breaking 15 league titles. The unbeaten streak running from the last two matches of the previous season (2014) however only extended into three matches at the beginning of the 2016 season to finally end at 35 matches. Many fans would be wont to believe that this is a record streak especially given the fact that the only often quoted streak is that of the old enemy, Ingwe, that stood at 47 in the 1985-87 period. Well, as impressive as going 35 matches unbeaten is, it is not the longest unbeaten streak in the league by Gor Mahia. And no, you don’t have to go back into the 70s to find K’Ogalo’s longest league unbeaten streak.

Having seen AFC Leopards dominate the league in the 1988, Gor Mahia set themselves up to the task of reclaiming their lost glory. After beginning the 1989 league on a losing note going down 0-1 to Kenya Breweries, Gor Mahia struggled to get their footing, winning only 3 of their first 10 games and drawing another 4 while losing 2. As fans began to give up on the team, Gor Mahia would put up a spirited fight for the rest of the season, winning 8 of their next 10 games and drawing only 2 to establish themselves as title challengers. A midseason slump would however see them draw 4 consecutive games between match day 24 and 27 (twice to Kisumu Posta, Raymond FC of Eldoret and MoW) before embarking on a 4 game winning streak in which they scored 14 goals. A draw against Shabana would however ensure the title went to AFC Leopards but Gor Mahia had by now gone 24 games without losing.

They would begin the 1990 season with the same momentum, winning 7 out of their first 10 games with only draws against Rivatex, AFC Leopards and Bandari keeping them in check. Just when it looked like MoW would stop them on match day 12, Peter Dawo game to the rescue with an equalizer after MoW had led for most of the game. Ensuing chaos resulted in a replay and Gor Mahia would hold their nerve in a hostile Kakamega ground to settle for a goalless draw. It would take another 8 games before Scarlet finally stopped them on match-day 21, winning 1-0 at Afraha Stadium.  The streak would end at 43 matches unbeaten with 28 wins and 15 draws.  

The class of 2015 fell 8 games short of this game but with 25 wins out of their unbeaten 35 games they were certainly the most prolific of the two sides when it came to winning games, having won 71% of their games compared to 65% of games won by 1989-1990 team.  The mid 1970s team was however slightly more prolific, winning 28 matches in a 32 matches for a 87.5% win ratio, just shedding the record of another 33 game unbeaten streak set in the early eighties when the team won 27 games  (82%).

As usual I will use a table to rank the best unbeaten streak to see how the sides have compared over the years.

Year(s)	# of matches unbeaten	Wins	Draws	% of wins
1989-1990	43	28	15	65%
2014-2016	35	25	10	71%
1983	33	27	5	82%
1975-1977	32	28	4	88%
1982	27	16	11	59%
1974-1975	23	20	3	87%

Next Week I will take a peek at K’Ogalo’s longest winning streaks. 

Tobias Ocholla, stalwart of the late 80s and early 90s K'Ogalo defence