Gor Mahia keen to impress in continental assignments

Record Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League champions Gor Mahia have no time to waste, as they take to training ahead of three crucial local and continental assignments between June and August this year.

Team Manager Victor Nyaoro says locally, they have three premier league matches to go, and despite having been crowned champions for the 21st time, they want to finish the league in style aiming to clock the 76 points mark.

The team will then proceed to Tanzania for the CECAFA Club Championship commencing on the July 20, 2024, before playing in the CAF Champions League preliminary rounds from August 1, 2024.

“We have three major targets. To finish the local league on a high note as well as make an impact in the CECAFA and CAF Champions League competitions. So we are training hard and cannot waste any time,” said Nyaoro.

Immediate former head coach Jonathan McKinstry is expected back in the country this week to complete his premier league assignment with K’Ogalo, as was stipulated in his departure agreement with the club.

According to Nyaoro, McKinstry is a professional coach and they believe he will accomplish his mission at Gor before fully taking charge of the Gambian National team ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.

“We are expecting him back. We agreed that he would leave after lifting our 21st trophy, but even in his absence, we are on with serious training,” noted Nyaoro.

Nyaoro says they are psychologically prepared for the regional tournament, noting that they have played against very strong teams in the local league and defeated them.

“We are not worried about champions from other countries. We are also champions and the duration of a football match remains 90 minutes,’’ he stated.

The club chairman Ambrose Rachier had earlier hinted at hiring an extra goalkeeper ahead of the CAF Champions League, making the total number of custodians to five. 

The current goalkeepers include Sofapaka import Kevin Omondi, Mathew Gad, Caleb Otieno and Dolf Owino.

The last time Gor featured in a continental competition was in February 2021, when they were eliminated by Zambia’s Napsa Stars in the preliminary stages of the CAF Confederations Cup.

Napsa had a week earlier beaten K’Ogalo 1-0 in Nairobi, before settling for a 2-2 draw in Zambia in the return fixture to see the Zambian side progress to the group stages of the tournament.

Last season, Gor were dropped from the CAF Champions League without kicking a ball for non-compliance of the club’s Licensing Act.

Currently, the record FKF-PL champions have four of their players away with the national team, Harambee Stars, for the World Cup qualifiers, and include; Austin Odhiambo, Rooney Onyango and Benson Omalla.

Striker Patrick Sibomana is also away on duty with his Rwandese National team in the World Cup qualifiers.