By Nick Okello Okello.
The most awaited group B match pitting Kenyan champions Gor Mahia and Red Arrows of Zambia lived up to it’s billing with the two sides displaying a highly tactical game from the start to the finish.
However, Red Arrows walked away with bragging rights after seeing off K’Ogalo with a solitary goal that came out of a goal mouth milee.
Interms of match analysis, both teams had a tight approach in the midfield that didn’t yield much scoring chances with Gor Mahia getting the only real chance two minutes from the end of the first half after a good swinger to Benson Omalla by Sheriff Musa was headed on side netting. Arrows didn’t have any open chance in that half since Gor defense which was marshalled by Joshua Onyango, Silvester Owino, Geoffrey Ochieng’ and captain Philemon Otieno worked well to deny the Zambians.
At the start of the second half, Gor made changes in their final third when the new manager Leo Neiva brought out Erick Masika for the new Ugandan signing Chris Akena. This change gave K’Ogalo more runs in the midfield, but was not enough to create chances upfront for Benson Omalla. Manager Leo Neiva brought in Ernest Wendo and Boniface Omondi for Sherrif Musa and Alpha Onyango respectively to get stability Infront of the defense, and to sharpen the attack. However, the Zambian side stood their ground and starved off Omalla by tightly marking him off throughout the game.
Red Arrows got their only goal in the 77th minute after an overlapping run on the left of the field yielded a good cross in K’Ogalo’s danger area and they scored a scrappy goal because of a defensive confusion when Gor Mahia failed to clear their lines.
Coach Leo Neiva presiding over his first official match said he was impressed with team especially in the second half where Gor Mahia dictated the game for long before the Zambian champions scored. ” I have now seen the team in action, and I know the areas to work on now”, he said at the post match interview.
Gor Mahia fielding a largely inexperienced side at the international level now needs to beat both Djibouti Telecom and Al Hilal to advance to the next level, but alot depends now on how Red Arrows perform in their next game against Al Hilal on Saturday. Al Hilal is equally a well oiled team and has some great individual players in their side.
Gor Mahia face Djibouti Telecom on Saturday at the Azam complex – Chimazi knowing just too well that they must win the match to remain in contention at the CECAFA 2024 tournament.
The top teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals, and the best losers will join in the semi-finals. So there is everything to play for in this tournament as round one of the group stages end.
Group A and C second round games will be played on Friday at Kidondoni Municipal Council grounds (KMC). While Group B matches will be played on Saturday at the Azam complex – Chimazi