Gor Mahia leave for Algiers
Confidence was high as Gor Mahia left for Algeria on Monday. The team landed in Morocco at 2pm on Monday where they will spend the night before leaving for Algeria the next day.
Kogalo was buoyed by their two successive wins over arch rivals AFC Leopards and a convincing 3-0 over Sofapaka. In the squad is Jacque Tuyisenge who has missed the last two matches with an injury. Left out of the squad is Ephrem Guikan who has yet to recover from his injury.
Gor Mahia need a point to move to the next stage. This is within their reach considering that they played better than the Algerians when the two teams last met at Kasarani. This despite the fact that Kogalo were reduced to 10 men. USM Alger have also been unimpressive of late, drawing with Rayon Sport at home before losing to Young Africans.
Gor Mahia travelling squad; Technical bench: 1. Dylan Kerr – Head coach, 2. Zedekiah Otieno – Asst coach and 3. Jolawi Obondo – Team Manager: Keepers:, 4. Bonface Oluoch- Keeper, 5. Fredrick Odhiambo- Defenders, 6. Haron Shakava- Defenders. 7. Joash Onyango- Defender 8. Wesley Onguso- Defender., 9. Karim Nzigyimana- Midfielders., 10. Ernest Wendo- Midfielder, 11. Humphrey Mieno- Midfielder., 12.Bernard Ondiek- Midfielder. 13. Lawrence Juma.
Midfielder/ Striker, 14. Francis Kahata- Midfielder, 15. George Odhiambo- 16. Samuel Onyango- Striker, 17. Jacques Tuyisenge- Striker, 18. Francis Mustapha. Strikers: 19. Charles Momanyi- Defender, 20. Philemon Otieno- Defender/ Midfielder and 21. Lordvick Aduda – CEO.
This time there’s reasonable traveling party, now go on and punish these Algerians, wametuzoea sana
Fred Odhiambo should start in goal experience notwithstanding he is our safest pair of hands…Goodluck and i know we shall prevail as God Is With Us like Emmanuel
USM Alger defender Redouane Cherifi is confident they can beat Gor Mahia to seal top spot in Group D of the CAF Confederations Cup despite the hot weather conditions in Algiers with the 4 PM kick off.
The harsh weather conditions are likely to affect the players with August being the hottest month in the Algerian calendar. Algiers is also 400ft above sea level and experiences humid conditions. Speaking of competition.dz, Cherifi noted that it would be challenging playing under those conditions, “It will be tough to play in the afternoons in August under a blazing sun, but we are ready to take up the challenge and the most important for us is to finish the match winners, synonymous with qualification for the quarter-finals of the continental competition.”
USM Alger head coach Thierry Forger is set to miss the services of Mohamed Mezeghrani, Mohamed Benkhemessa, Mohammed Benyahia and Rafik Bouderbal three of whom started the reverse fixture back in May. Cherifi who was an unused substitute in the first leg of the encounter is likely to start following the suspension of key defenders.
“Regarding absences, we would have liked to be in full force against the Gor Mahia, but I think we have a well-staffed and our coach will certainly find solutions to overcome the various defections.”
The Algerian defender added that Gor Mahia will pose tough opposition for USM, “We are expecting a difficult match, but our mission is clear, we must win to ensure qualification for the quarterfinals of the CAF Cup at the head of Group D. We know very well that we will have to face a tough opponent, but we will give ourselves thoroughly to win and thus provide joy for our supporters.”
In light of the new rules that place head to head statistics ahead of goal difference as a tie breaker in this competition, the green and white shirts must collect nothing short of victory in the match to advance to the quarterfinals taking into account that Rayon Sports will pull all stops to win their match against Young Africans of Tanzania…
I hope our coach Kerr will motivate our players following the win against AFC leopards by the second string team. If the team to Algeria deserve to be called the first ( 11 ) team of Gor Mahia, they should beat USM algiers away. Good luck Kogalo