CAF Champions League
GOR MAHIA CAMPS IN GHANA AHEAD OF CLASH WITH LOBI STARS
Gor Mahia have set up a two-day training camp in Ghana in readiness for Saturday’s Africa Champions League first round, return leg contest against Nigeria’s Lobi Stars.
According to Kenya’s Daily Mail, while the team is in Ghana, the club chairman Ambrose Rachier has turned to spiritual inspiration as he prays for an aggregate win against the seasoned West African side.
The game will kick off at 4pm local time at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu.
“We are in Ghana out of certain circumstances because the team missed the connecting flight from Accra to Abuja and the next available one is tomorrow (Friday). We have had to look for a good hotel and training ground in Accra,” explained Rachier.
The Kenyan delegation is expected in Abuja on Friday afternoon, before boarding a two-hour chartered flight to Enugu.
Coach Hassan Oktay and his charges won the first leg match 3-1 in Nairobi last Sunday and can thus afford a draw or even solitary goal loss in Enugu to win the match on aggregate and progress to the group stage of the continent’s premier club competition.
Progressing to the group stage of this competition will attract a Sh58 million cash prize for Gor Mahia, with the tournament winner set to pocket Sh250 million.
“I am confident heading into this match. It will be historic because no Kenyan team has progressed to the group stage since this tournament was rebranded. This task is like crossing the bridge to Canaan and I leave it in the hands of God because we have done everything possible to prepare the boys,” Rachier added.
Oktay
will rely on Rwandan hit man Jacques Tuyisenge who scored the opening goal in
the reverse fixture in Nairobi to lead the attack.
Midfielder Ernest Wendo will miss out through injury, but the technical team
has the in-form Samuel Ontango, Humphrey Mieno, Philemon Otieno and Cercidy
Okello as backup.
Captain Harun Shakava and goalie Boniface Oluoch are also set to play prominent roles.
Meanwhile Benue State Governor has approved the provision of free buses to convey Lobi Stars Football Club supporters to Enugu to cheer on the hosts.
“The decision of the Governor to mobilise massive support for our team serves to boost their morale so as to enable them to overturn the 3-1 defeat suffered in Kenya,” a statement on the club’s social media pages explained.
The Deputy Governor, Benson Abounu will lead the state delegation to Enugu for the match.
Enugu Rangers’ patchy form in the CAF Champions League continues as they struggled to beat visiting Angola’s Sagrada Esperance 1-0 in the first leg match played at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
It was in similar fashion that they played against Union Sportive de Zilimadjou of Comoros Islands who they beat 2-1 over two legs in Uyo.
Rangers’ lone goal was scored by Kazeem Ogunleye in the 80th minute.
CAF Champions League
VIDEO: Controversial penalty kick remains a talking point in Remo Stars’ elimination
But for the questionable penalty kick awarded for AS FAR of Morocco in the 78th minute of the tension-soaked CAF Champions League duel with Remo Stars on Sunday in Rabat, the complexion of the final result as well as the aggregate scorelines may have been different.
Match scoreline stood at 1-1 before the referee, Adissa Abdul Raphiou Ligali of Benin Republic, who was midway to the centre circle suddenly blew his whistle and awarded a penalty kick to the hosts.
Before then, all body contacts had been ruled against Remo Stars. Even, the Moroccans looked amused when the referee, who was off the scene suddenly ran into the penalty area and awarded a penalty kick for an incident, even if it were an infraction, happened outside the penalty box.
The award of the penalty kick and the conversion by El Amine Zouhzouh, literaly sealed Remo Stars thin hope of advancing.
The Nigerian side left it too late as they only came out to attack after their hopes had been sealed.
In starting the crucial match, their lead scorer, Sikiru Alimi and assist master, Sodiq Ismail were brought in only after the damage had been done. It was after the first goal in the 51st minute that Alimi was brought in in the 54th minute.
Nigeria’s champions, Enugu Rangers have been drawn against Grupo Desportivo Sagrada Esperança of Angola in the next round of the CAF Champions League.
The fixtures come up next month with Enugu Rangers hosting the first leg on 13 September.
The return leg holds on 20 September. Enugu Rangers advanced after eliminating Comoros Islands’ US Zilimadjou.
Grupo Desportivo Sagrada Esperança better known as G.D. Sagrada Esperança advanced after seeing off Saint-Louis Suns United of Seychelles on a 4-0 aggregate.
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