Gad Mathews Departs Gor Mahia: A Farewell to a Goalkeeping Legend
After seven trophy-laden years, the gloves are off. Gad Mathews has confirmed his departure from Gor Mahia, closing a chapter that helped define a dominant era for the FKF Premier League’s record champions.
The veteran goalkeeper, who arrived as a relatively unheralded signing from Kisumu All Stars ahead of the 2019–2020 season, announced his exit in an emotional post on his Facebook page, framing his journey in the simplest of terms: a boy walking in, a man walking out.
He thanked Gor Mahia for being “a great home” over the past seven years and reserved a special line for the terraces, telling the fans they had made him feel at home. It was a farewell written with the clarity of someone who knows exactly what he’s leaving behind.
Gor Mahia responded in kind. On their official channels, the club confirmed Mathews’ contract had run its course and paid tribute to his “dedicated service and professionalism,” underlining that his contribution had been “invaluable” to their success. No hyperbole there. The medal count backs it up.
From New Boy to Number One
When Mathews joined K’Ogalo from Kisumu All Stars, he was not walking into a vacuum. Gor Mahia were already a club accustomed to pressure, expectation, and silverware. He had to earn the shirt.
He did. Quickly.
With a calm presence, sharp reflexes, and a voice that carried across the penalty area, Mathews established himself as first-choice goalkeeper and held that role through multiple title pushes. His consistency gave Gor Mahia something every champion side needs: certainty at the back.
Across his time at the club, he lifted three FKF Premier League titles, anchoring a defence that powered Gor Mahia to a record-extending 22nd league crown in the recently concluded 2025–2026 campaign. While strikers grabbed headlines, Mathews quietly stacked clean sheets and decisive interventions.
Golden Glove and Cup Final Heroics
His standout season came in 2022–2023. That year, Mathews walked away with the FKF Premier League Golden Glove award, keeping 17 clean sheets. He shared the honour with Humphrey Katasi, then at Nzoia Sugar, a neat statistical nod to the level he was operating at.
But numbers only tell part of the story. His legend at Gor Mahia was sealed in the 2021 Mozzart Bet Cup final against bitter rivals AFC Leopards. On a night when nerves frayed and tension gripped the stands, Mathews stood tallest in the penalty shootout, producing two crucial saves to steer Gor Mahia to a 4–1 victory and the trophy.
He left the pitch that day not just with a medal but with the tournament’s best goalkeeper award, and with it, a permanent place in club folklore.
A New Guard in Goal
Mathews’ exit doesn’t just remove a name from the team sheet; it forces a reset in one of the most sensitive positions on the pitch. Gor Mahia have not waited around.
The club has already moved to reinforce the goalkeeping department, bringing in a familiar rival and a rising star. Humphrey Katasi, now signed from AFC Leopards, arrives as a proven top-flight keeper and former Golden Glove co-winner. Alongside him comes Michael Onyango, the National Super League Golden Glove winner, stepping up after impressing in the second tier.
Two new faces. One very large void to fill.
For Gor Mahia, the transition is clear: the Mathews era is over, the Katasi–Onyango era begins. For Gad Mathews himself, the next destination remains unannounced, but after seven years of titles, awards, and defining performances, one question hangs over his departure.
Where does a man go after leaving a club where he turned from boy into champion?
