Gor Mahia faces their toughest test yet as they go head-to-head with Egyptian giants Al Ahly

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League champions Gor Mahia have been warned to maintain a high level of discipline when they take on defending champions Al Ahly of Egypt in the second preliminary round of the Caf Champions League.

Former K’Ogalo coach Bob Oyugi says discipline will be crucial if the Kenyan champions are to stand a chance of eliminating the African champions.

“Self-discipline will be key for Gor Mahia players because most teams, especially from North Africa, including Al Ahly, like to provoke opponents. If any team falls for this trick, they end up playing with fewer players, and Al Ahly takes advantage of the numerical superiority to beat Gor Mahia,” Oyugi stated, as quoted by Flashscore.

Exciting fixture

Gor Mahia will host the Red Devils in the first leg on September 13 before the two sides face off in the return leg on September 20 in Cairo.

The last time Gor Mahia played against an Egyptian side was in 2019 during the group stage of the Confederation Cup, when they beat Zamalek 4-2 in Nairobi before losing the return leg 4-0 away in Cairo.

The record Kenyan champions qualified for the second round of the inter-club competition following a 5-2 aggregate win against El Merreikh Bentiu of South Sudan.

K’Ogalo had lost the first leg 1-0 in Juba but returned home to win 5-1 and advance to the next stage.

Despite El Merreikh taking an early lead courtesy of Samuel Akinbinu in the return leg fixture at Nyayo Stadium, Gor Mahia, under Brazilian coach Leonardo Martins Neiva, made a superb comeback with goals from Chris Ochieng, Alpha Onyango, Alphonse Omija and Rooney Onyango, who grabbed a brace.

Gor Mahia will now face Al Ahly, who received a bye to the second round.

The Egyptian giants won a record 12th Champions League title last season after beating Tunisian side Esperance 1-0 on aggregate in the final.

After a 0-0 draw in the first leg of the final, Al Ahly triumphed 1-0 thanks to an own goal from Roger Aholou, becoming only the third team to win the Champions League with an unbeaten record, winning nine and drawing five of their 14 qualifying, group, and knockout matches.

Tactical encounter

“Gor Mahia must stay calm and avoid unnecessary reactions that could lead to a red card. In such matches, it is better to finish with eleven players against eleven and not fewer. Any blunder will give Al Ahly the advantage and could end Gor Mahia’s tournament,” he added.

“Playing 11 against 11 gives every team a chance to win, but if you react foolishly and get one or even two players sent off, you opt for a defensive game, giving your opponents the best chance to finish you.”

Al Ahly have won the Champions League trophy in 1982, 1987, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024. Their closest rivals are a long way behind, with Zamalek and Congolese side TP Mazembe each having five titles.