Gor Mahia keen to impress in continental assignments
![Gor Mahia keen to impress in continental assignments Gor Mahia keen to impress in continental assignments](https://citizentv.obs.af-south-1.myhuaweicloud.com/122868/conversions/SP014A0546-ID28296-500x333-watermarked-og_image.webp)
AFC Leopards SC Jafari Owiti L is challenged by Gor Mahia FCs Ernest Wendo during FKF Premier League match dubbed Mashemeji Derby at Nyayo National Stadium on May 14, 2023. AFC Leopards SC won 2-1 . Photo Kelly Ayodi Sportpicha
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.
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