Gor Mahia coach says they are not scared of Al Ahly

After the international break, the African teams will be competing for the prestigious tournament of CAF Champions and Confederation Cup.

On Sunday the Kenyan giants Gor Mahia will be challenging the reigning champions of African inter clubs(CAF Champions League) Al Ahly of Egypt.

The fixture between the two teams will be first leg of second Preliminary round that will take place at Nyayo Stadium.

On this fixture the Egyptian giants Al Ahly are emerge as the favorite and they will be under pressure to perform well and defend their title for the 13th times in this year’s edition.

Head coach of Gor Mahia Leo Neiva reveals that they are not scared at all ahead of their fixture against the African decorated team(Al Ahly).

He said “We are well prepared for this tie. The stage fright is long gone after our excellent start to the title campaign against El Mereikh in the first round.

“We can pull off a major surprise against our opponents and it would be disastrous for them to underrate us. We intend to win at home and gain an advantage for the away leg.

“The good news is that we shall have a full squad on the matchday including players like Sylvester Onyango and Rooney Onyango who held brief for the nation against Zimbabwe and Namibia in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.”

Leo Neiva highlighted the importance of having more spectators in the stadium as it will give them upper advantage and confidence booster.

He said “We need fans to throng the stands and cheer us on as we battle such a formidable opponent. Their presence will matter a lot.

“It has always mattered. We will not disappoint. It’s an important match for us. I hope to see a full stadium.

He also encouraged his troops to not relax and think things will be so easy as they are playing in their home soil.

Neiva said “We respect Al Ahly and cannot afford to take them lightly even at home. You can tell how good they are just by looking at their ranking.

“But football is a game that’s hard to predict and the outcome could go either way. We shall take the battle to their doorstep.”

Leo Neiva also highlighted the importance of having the former Police FC attacking midfielder Sammy Onyango.

Gor Mahia coach will be spoiled with the choice of his own, as the team have assembled squad of talents such as Enock Morrison, Chris Akena, Samuel Kapen, Gedeon Bendeka and Alphonce Omija.

Neiva said “Onyango’s presence in the squad will be instrumental in our KPL and continental campaigns and we are happy to have him back.

“We need a set of experienced players at this stage of the competition to lead the way and he has what it takes.”

The journey of Leo Neiva together with his troops started against South Sudan’s side(El Merreikh) where they won by 1-0 at first leg.

Then second leg they defeated El Merreikh by a 5-1 at Nyayo Stadium to make it 6-1 on aggregate to book their tickets for Second Preliminary round.

BY LUCKY SEANEGO