Gor Mahia showed their famous fighting spirit, beating Sudan’s Al Hilal 8–7 on penalties after a 1–1 draw to reach the Cecafa Kagame Cup final on Tuesday evening.
And for Gor Mahia, this regional tournament is about more than just chasing a long-awaited trophy: it is also the ultimate test ahead of the CAF Champions League, whose preliminary round begins on September 14.
Ahead of Friday’s final against hosts Rayon Sports, in which Gor Mahia will be hoping to win the title for the first time in 41 years, head coach Charles Akonnor credited the players’ mental strength, confidence, resilience and self-belief for their dramatic semi-final victory over Al Hilal despite playing with only ten men. The Kenyan champions were also missing some of their key players.
Gor Mahia produced a spirited performance to beat the Sudanese giants. Meanwhile, Rayon Sports beat South Sudan’s Jamus SC 2–0 in the second semi-final, setting up a date with Gor Mahia at Kigali Pele Stadium at 8pm.
Al Hilal are among the sponsors of this year's Kagame Cup, having contributed Sh12.9 million to the tournament.
Akonnor praised his players for their determination, particularly after midfielder Jackson Dwang' was sent off late in the second half.
“My boys fought hard and it was all about mentality and resilience — I believe those are the key aspects that won us the game. I was really impressed by how we handled the match and the sustained pressure that came with it, and we made it to the final,” said Akonnor.
Following Dwang's dismissal, Gor played the remainder of regulation time and extra time with 10 men. Despite being a man down, they matched Al Hilal throughout and held their nerve in the shootout after Daniel Sakari missed an early penalty.
Akonnor said that the fighting spirit displayed by Gor against Al Hilal should serve the team well in Friday's Cecafa final and in the CAF Champions League.
Gor Mahia are using the Cecafa Kagame Cup as an intense pre-season training camp, and the regional tournament is providing them with valuable competitive match practice to improve player fitness. The team is also using the tournament to experiment with different tactics against top-tier continental opponents ahead of the CAF Champions League.
"You need to show quality and fight in big games. What we did should be the way to go, even in continental championships. This tournament is part of our CAF preparations, but that doesn't mean we aren't taking it seriously. Some of the participants in this Cecafa, such as Al Hilal, have a strong CAF background, so we are up against tough opponents," said Akonnor.
He said they are targeting a place in the CAF Champions League group stage. The last time Gor Mahia achieved this in a CAF competition was in 2018, when they reached the quarter-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup, ultimately losing 7-1 on aggregate to Morocco's RS Berkane.
Gor Mahia lost 2–0 to Rayon Sports in a friendly match two weeks ago, in which Akonnor gave several new signings an opportunity to showcase their skills. However, the coach said Friday's final will be a completely different contest.
"This is a final; you have to fight for it by fielding the best team, because we want to win the trophy. We learnt some things in the friendly clash, and we will improve in the areas where they dominated us. Nevertheless, Rayon Sports are a strong team," said Akonnor.
The two clubs also met in the second round of the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup, with Rayon Sports progressing with an aggregate score of 2–1.
Gor Mahia will be without Samuel Kapen, striker Patrick Essombe and captain Silvester Owino, all of whom are sidelined with injuries.
Defender Frank Odhiambo says that reaching the final has boosted their confidence ahead of their CAF Champions League campaign.
“This is a major tournament, and we are looking to put our best foot forward and win it. Playing tough opponents also helps us to prepare mentally for the continental games where we are aiming to do well,” said Odhiambo.
There were jubilant scenes in the Gor Mahia dressing room after the victory, with the club now just one win away from ending their 41-year wait for the regional title.
The tournament winners will receive $30,000 (Sh3.8 million), while the runners-up and third-placed teams will earn $20,000 (Sh2.5 million) and $10,000 (Sh1.2 million), respectively.
Having reached the final, Gor Mahia are guaranteed at least Sh2.5 million in prize money.
