Gor Mahia head coach Charles Akonnor has joined the echoes bemoaning the playing surface at the Dandora Stadium, calling it a bother and says that his side was forced to play in a different way during their win over Sofapaka in the Kenyan Premier League.
Gor beat Sofapaka 2-0 at the same ground over the weekend, as they kickstarted their campaign following an opening day loss to Bidco United.
According to the former Asante Kotoko head coach, his team was forced to adapt to a new style of play, which was forced upon them by the state of the playing surface at the heavily used Dandora Stadium.
“It was very important for us to win today’s game after our loss last week. What was important was that we kept the ball, we continued to play the same way, the same style, he said in the aftermath of his side's success.
Speaking on the state of the Dandora grounds, Akonnor did not mince his words.
"Of course, the field was not too favourable for us, so we went direct from the beginning. We didn’t develop the attack from the back, which we had to adjust to” the Ghanaian said of the state of affairs at Dandora.
This is not the first time that Dandora Stadium is in the news over poor surface, and it comes in the midst of a league season which will heavily depend on the grounds for league matches.
The stadium, which was largely used to host the Football Kenya Federation Premier League and National Super League matches in the 2024/2025 season as well as the 2025 Sakaja Super Cup, apparently underwent repairs to make the playing surface better. The repairs came after silent complaints by players about certain parts of the surface being bumpy and difficult to play on.
The Ksh 276 million Dandora stadium was opened to the public after Governor Johnstone Sakaja took over and sanctioned the completion of construction works after delays and controversy that delayed the completion of construction works in the stadium for almost six years.
The 4,000 sitting capacity stadium features a perimeter wall and a playing pitch equipped with an artificial turf with football field fixtures and utility rooms constructed to international standards. There are also floodlights and a storm water drainage as well as graffiti on a section of the stadium.
The construction of the stadium was commissioned by former Nairobi governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko in 2018.