Now-or-never for Gor Mahia in Tunis

What you need to know:

  • With a place in the competition’s money spinning group stage at stake, both teams are leaving nothing to chance with the tie evenly poised after their 0-0 draw in the first leg in Machakos 10 days ago.
  • Gor’s dominance locally is well documented but the club’s inability to match its success in the continent in the 1980s is what has seen the current managers criticised by fans and stakeholders.

Kenyan giants Gor Mahia face a real test of character on Sunday when they battle Esperance de Tunis in the second leg of their Caf Champions League first round tie at the 60,000-seater Stade Olympique Rades in Tunis.

With a place in the competition’s money spinning group stage at stake, both teams are leaving nothing to chance with the tie evenly poised after their 0-0 draw in the first leg in Machakos 10 days ago.

Gor’s dominance locally is well documented but the club’s inability to match its success in the continent in the 1980s is what has seen the current managers criticised by friends and foe.

Will Gor Mahia rise to the occasion today? That ambition will be shaped by Gor’s desire to avoid another preliminary stage ouster, which has been the norm since 1992 when they last qualified for the quarterfinals.

The 16-time Kenyan champions need a win of any kind or a scoring draw to advance to the group stages where a cool sum of Sh55 million awaits. A 0-0 draw after 90 minutes will see the match settled on post-match penalties.

Gor’s last visit to the Stade Olympique Rades ended in a limp 5-0 loss to the Tunisians four years ago and this match provides K’Ogalo with an opportunity to right the wrongs from the past.

The weather forecasters have predicted partly cloudy skies with highs of 21 degrees Celsius and lows of nine, conditions that are considered favourable for such a game.

Gor Mahia coach Dylan Kerr was forced to travel with a depleted squad , with key players Wellington Ochieng, Godfrey Walusimbi, Ephrem Guikan and Kevin Omondi all out of the tie.

“It’s a bit unsettling that Walusimbi isn’t here, but I believe in my boys. People think it’s an impossible mission but I believe we can score. The boys are prepared to play under intense pressure but I believe we can,” Kerr told Nation Sport from Tunis.

ESPERANCE'S DOMINANCE

The “Blood and Gold” of Tunisia are ranked second in the Africa Football Club rankings, behind only Al Ahly of Egypt. They have won different African competitions within the last 30 years, including the Champions League in 1994 and 2011.

In their only four meetings so far, Esperance have never lost to K’Ogalo. They beat Gor 3-2 and 5-0 in a similar encounter in 2014, and drew 1-1 and 2-2 in the 1987 Nelson Mandela Cup final when Gor emerged victors courtesy of the away goal rule.

The Sousse-based team is currently under the tutelage of 61-year old Tunisian Khaled Ben Yahia, who took up the job in January 2 from Faouza Benzarti.
Yahia is on his third stint as Esperance coach, and was also a former central defender at the club before moving into coaching.