Gor hammer Merreikh, book a date with Egypt's Al Ahly

Rooney Onyango, who missed the first leg, grabbed a brace as Chris Ochieng, Alpha Onyango and Alphonse Omija netted one each, to give Gor the sweet win, in their first competitive match at home this season.

This was a statement comeback for the record Kenyan Premier League champions, who lost the first leg of the preliminaries 1-0 in Juba last week.

The game started with an early shock as Samuel Abinkinu scored for Merreikh just after eight minutes, giving them a brief advantage. 

However, Gor Mahia quickly responded with Ochieng’s exquisite lob over the keeper four minutes later, capitalizing on a defensive blunder by the visitors.

In the 21st minute, Gor Mahia’s Alpha Onyango extended the lead, finishing off a dangerous attack to put his team ahead. 

The 35th minute saw Omija join the scoring party, slotting home a clear chance from the edge of the six-yard box, making it 3-1.

Just before halftime, Sylvester Ahono’s crucial clearance off the line kept Merreikh from closing the gap, as Gor Mahia went into the break with a commanding lead.

Christopher Oduor and Shariff Sirengo both came close to extending the lead within the first five minutes of the second half, only to see their shots sail over the bar. 

In the 64th minute, Oduor missed yet another chance in a one-on-one effort, but Gor’s attacking prowess remained undeterred.

The 73rd minute brought another near miss for Gor Mahia as Christopher Onyango squandered a clear opportunity, with only the keeper to beat. 

However, their persistence paid off in the 81st minute when Rooney scored the fourth goal, finishing off an attack he had initially started.

Merreikh’s hopes of reducing the deficit were further dashed when Deng Lok’s powerful shot was expertly saved by Gor’s keeper, Kevin Onyango. 

The South Sudan team had found the back of the net late in the match, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

In the final moments Rooney capped an impressive performance by netting his second goal of the match, sealing a 5-2 aggregate victory for Gor Mahia.