Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier has acknowledged that he is always puzzled as to why the Kenyan champions always face the North African teams in the preliminary round of the CAF competitions.

This season, Gor Mahia will tackle the Egyptian giants Al Ahly in the second round of the Champions League at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday, September 15, 2024.

“It is something that has puzzled me; we get knocked out earliest. If I remember since I have been chairman for 16 years.

“We have been knocked out by North African teams. Always an Egyptian team, Zamalek or Al Ahly, Esperance (of Tunisia). Always you get knocked out at the first or second preliminary round of the tournament by North African teams,” Rachier said in an interview with a local sports show.

Rachier, Gor Mahia long-serving and most successful chief, also talked about the CAF format and revealed he would like some changes done.

“Let us not look at each other as equals because our stages of development and football are completely different.

“We should have a format where the lesser teams face each other and let the giants also knock each other out, and maybe in the end, one of them will emerge, but we are giving the minnows an opportunity as they advance, which will improve our status,” he added.

CAF’s format

He also supported a format that would help even the teams considered minnows to progress to the money bracket.

“Instead of knocking us off, you could deliberately get the minnows to first of all play against themselves.

“If you go to play in Uganda, Tanzania, or the Congo so that you get to the money bracket, and it helps you survive and improve your club,” he concluded.

The Premier League reached this stage by beating El Merreikh of South Sudan in Nairobi after they had lost in the first leg in Juba.