Mozambican referees picked for Gor versus Zamalek duel

Mozambican referees will be in charge of Gor Mahia’s Caf Confederations Cup group match against Egyptian powerhouse Zamalek.

The two giants collide at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani from 4.15pm on Sunday in a Group D match with K’Ogalo aiming to start on a sound footing.

Celso Armindo Alvacao will be the centre referee assisted by compatriots Arsensio Chadreque and Zacarias Baloi as first and second assistant referees respectively.

Sudanese Mamoun Bushara Nasir will be the match commissioner. Meanwhile Zamalek  have kept their travel itinerary close to their chest but are expected to jet in on Friday.

“They have not told us anything about their travel arrangement but we shall put it out to the public the moment we get that communication,’’ FKF’s Communications and Public Relations Manager, Barry Otieno said.

Meanwhile Gor Mahia fans have taken to social media to convey their feelings about the team’s current form even as they anticipate a tough duel from Zamalek .

While K’Ogalo’s die-hards believe that Gor can still prevail in the high-stakes assignment, a section of fans have been vocal in their criticism of the foreign recruits whom they maintain are not up to scratch.

One such fan, Alphonce Juma, commenting on Ramogi’s Facebook page, wrote: ‘’I have never seen a group of weak foreign recruits like the ones we have this season who are always benched. They have not proved their worth.’’

According to Juma, the Gor squad of 2016 and 2017 had the “best” foreign players.

Juma picked Khalid Aucho, Abouba Sibomana, Karim Nzigyimana and Meddie Kagere as some of the dedicated foreign players who could not be benched, perhaps due to their technical ability and contribution to matches.

For the second year running, Gor have made it to the group stages of the Caf Confederations Cup, making history as the first and only Kenyan team to attain the feat.

They are also the only East and Central African team to have ever won a continental title – the Nelson Mandela Cup, now renamed the Caf Confederation Cup.

With mixed performances in the league, where they’ve managed just four wins out of nine games, head coach Hassan Oktay is under immense pressure to prove his mettle.

His predecessor, Briton Dylan Kerr ditched the club in December last year, but not before making a name as one of the greatest coaches K’Ogalo has ever had as he successfully navigated the team to a league title and also a group stage slot in the continental championship.

In their past meeting in 1984, in Cairo, Egypt, the match was abandoned after everything went awry with K’Ogalo players bitterly protesting the referees’ calls and Sunday’s showdown is expected to be epic.

Kenya’s top striker in the last 10 years, Dennis Oliech, is primed to make his debut in the competition and the football mad fans will follow with bated breath as he lead’s Gor’s hunt for glory.

Oliech alongside Nicholas Kipkirui and Geoffrey Ochieng, are the only new names in Gor’s roster for the group campaign.