By Gor Mahia Media
Kenyan champions Gor Mahia FC will be leaving the country tomorrow morning to play the 2nd leg of the Total Energies CAF Champions League against Al Ahly SC in Cairo, Egypt on Saturday, September 21, 2024. They lost the 1st leg by 3 goals in Nairobi last week. Gor Mahia’s coach, Leo Neiva, stated, “We are not going to sit back and allow them to just attack us. We are going to play our attacking style as well and possibly score an early goal.”
The tactician is drawing a lot of inspiration from last week’s game. He stated that the team’s lack of experience at this level and simple mistakes cost them the game by such a margin. However, he mentioned that they have trained well and are prepared to give a good performance in Cairo. He added that the significant difference in finances and Gor’s 4-year absence from continental football makes Al Ahly a stronger team. Nonetheless, he emphasized that football will be played on the pitch by 11 players on each side. The coach has been pushing the team to adopt his attacking style of football since taking over on 1st July 2024.
Gor Mahia’s traveling party, consisting of 22 players and the technical staff, they will depart at 5:00 am tomorrow aboard Egypt Air flight. The team will check into the hotel by midday to begin their preparations. The match is scheduled to kick off at 7:00 pm EAT on Saturday. Fans can expect to see a dynamic midfield performance from Ghana’s Enock Morrison and Kenyan MVP Austine Odhiambo, who are anticipated to replicate the impressive display they showcased last week in Nairobi. Alpha Onyango, who also performed well in midfield, is expected to start, while Rooney Onyango aims to make impactful runs into the opposition’s areas. The Gor Mahia coach has emphasized that in this match, the pressure should be on Al Ahly and not on his team.
Jerome Bryson Wangai, known for his speed, has been selected to travel with the team for the first time since joining Gor Mahia last season. He has caught the attention of the coaches with his recent performances in training. If he gets playing time, he will certainly bring pace to the left flank, where he has been developing as an attacking winger, instead of the left-back position he was initially signed for. Gad Mathews is also back in the traveling squad for the game, as he has shown determination to reclaim his position as the team’s goalkeeper after being on the sidelines for the entire last season though Kevin Omondi remains the first-choice keeper.
The results of the match on Saturday aside, the coach is happy that the boys are getting the exposure required to play proper African football. These are very important building blocks for the team’s aspirations to become a powerhouse in African football once again. He looks forward to a positive outing in Egypt.