Gor Mahia feel the heat as Caf Champions League opponents come to town
A 34-man delegation of South Sudanese football team Al Merreikh Bentiu, arrived in Nairobi on Wednesday ahead of their return leg match in the preliminary round of CAF Champions League against Gor Mahia this weekend.
Al Merreikh, based in Juba, won the first leg 1-0 at the Juba National Stadium last Sunday. The two clubs will clash in the reverse fixture at the Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday, August 25, from 3 pm.
Al Merreikh scored the lone goal in the first leg via Mohamed El Feji in the 63rd minute of the match.
Record Kenyan champions Gor Mahia face an uphill task in Sunday's match. Gor must win by at least two goals, and even then, they must ensure their South Sudanese opponents don't score a goal if they are to proceed to the first round.
“Our opponents have arrived. In all, it is a contingent of 33 people. As is the norm, we have given them transport to facilitate their movements within the city, and to training grounds,” Gor Mahia's CEO Raymond Oruo said on Wednesday evening.
Nation Sport has learnt that the team will be training at Grogan Institute in Nairobi ahead of the Sunday clash. Oruo revealed that Al Merreikh had sent an advanced team to Nairobi immediately after the first leg match played in Juba last Sunday.
This weekend's match is expected to be a cracker as the two sides tussle to go through to the next round.
Gor Mahia's coach, Brazilian Leonardo Neiva, is under pressure to deliver in the match to win over fans of the club.
Since taking over as coach of the club on July 1, the 46-year-old Brazilian has not won a single match, inviting the wrath of the club's fans. Gor's fans, popularly known as the 'Green Army', are among the most vocal in the league and have been known to have a big influence on the fate of coaches at the club.
Neiva has presided over four of the team's matches at the club without victory.
Neiva didn’t win a single match in the Cecafa Kagame Cup played in Tanzania last month.
Gor Mahia has stepped up training at the M-Pesa Academy in Thika since jetting back to the country on Monday as the local champions aim to turn the tables on their opponents in the return leg.
After winning the first leg match, Al Merreikh's outspoken coach, Ramzi Sebit, vowed to demolish Gor in Nairobi.
The aggregate winner of the match between Gor Mahia and Al Merreikh will meet Egyptian giants Al Ahly in the first round of the CAF Champions League tournament.
