By Nick Okello
Gor Mahia’s draw against Djibouti Telecom leaves K’Ogalo with a mountain to climb!
After drawing in Chamazi with their opponents, the Kenyan champions no longer control their destiny. Yesterday’s result means Gor Mahia is in 3rd place in Group B with 1 point after playing 2 games. This makes it nearly impossible for them to advance to the semi-finals. In Group A, Villa SC of Uganda is currently the best loser in the tournament. Red Arrows of Zambia are second in Group B with 3 points but an inferior goal difference.
Gor Mahia faces a tough challenge against Al Hilal in their upcoming match at Azam Complex Stadium next Tuesday at 4:00 pm EAT. Al Hilal is currently dominating the group with a perfect record, having won 2 matches and scored 7 goals. Their striker, Alamin Mohamed, scored a hat-trick in their recent victory over Red Arrows. Al Hilal looks like the tournament’s favorite given their style of play, experience, and quality squad. On the other hand, Gor Mahia is expected to display the best football and remain strong in attack, despite only scoring once in 180 minutes of play. Al Hilal plays a 3-4-3 formation with the lethal right winger Adam Traore being a constant threat to opponents in this tournament. Coach Leo Neiva will have to use his tactics to contain Al Hilal’s strong midfield and hope to deploy balls in the spaces to keep the Sudanese side busy at the back.
Yesterday, Gor Mahia showed improvement in their performance. There was more aggression in the midfield, more attempts at shooting from outside the box, and good wing play, particularly from Levin Odhiambo, who scored on his debut for Gor Mahia since leaving Tusker FC late last season. Rooney Onyango’s deployment on the right wing also added pace, power, and urgency to the team’s attacking play. However, there is still work to be done to have creative midfielders carry the ball into the final third for attacking opportunities. The new coach appears to favor a fast-paced game with a high-pressing philosophy, focusing on spreading the ball to the flanks and making runs in the opponent’s danger area during every move. However, the team still heavily relies on Coach Jonathan McKinstry’s style of holding back and playing cautiously. In contrast, Leo Neiva wants an all-out attacking system that puts pressure on opponents in their half.
On the flip side, Gor Mahia must be proud that they participated in this tournament since they have now engaged with their peers, positioning themselves appropriately ahead of the Gold City Tournament in Enugu, Nigeria in the next 2 weeks, and 3 weeks ahead of CAF champion’s league first preliminary round against El Mereik of South Sudan. Notably, the club leadership was here yesterday, led by Senior Counsel and Club President, Ambrose Rachier, Secretary General Sam Ochola, Vice President Francis Wasuna, and Executive Member Gerphas Okuku. Together with the technical bench, they assessed the team’s shortcomings, and necessary actions will be taken. The FIFA transfer window is still open, and the team should use it to bolster areas that need attention.