EXCLUSIVE: Gor Mahia coach Martins Neiva’s thoughts after humiliating Champions League exit
K'Ogalo’s journey in the lucrative inter-club competition ended in the second preliminary round after losing 6-0 on aggregate against the Red Devils. The record Kenyan champions had lost the first leg 3-0 in Nairobi on September 15th.
They headed into the return leg at the Cairo International Stadium facing an uphill task of overturning the outcome. However, their ambitions were dealt a blow when Al Ahly, who are the record Champions League winners with 12 titles, took the lead in the 23rd minute through Rami Rabia.
Rabia, who had scored the opening goal in the first leg, set the tone for Ahly’s victory with a commanding header from close range after a cross from Moroccan left-back Yahia Attiyat. The Red Devils went into the half-time break with a 1-0 lead, but 4-0 on aggregate, and on resumption they continued to dominate the East African side.
Wessam Abou Ali doubled Al Ahly’s lead in the 54th minute when he latched onto another cross from Attiyat Allah to slot the ball past goalkeeper Gad Mathews, who was making a return to the Gor Mahia side after a long spell out with an injury.
Substitute winger Taher Mohamed Taher scored the third goal for Ahly with a powerful strike during injury time to end K’Ogalo’s lingering hopes of qualifying for the group stage of the competition.
Gor Mahia must accept Al Ahly is on another level
In an exclusive interview with Flashscore, Martins Neiva, who is handling the Kenyan side for the first time in continental football, explained why K’Ogalo’s faithful should not be mad at the second-round exit.
Martins Neiva praised Al Ahly saying they were a complete outfit with everything any team requires to dominate the continent and further said the Red Devils have a more competitive league which makes them an even tougher side to beat.
“We (Gor Mahia) must be humble and accept that Al Ahly is in another level of football about everything: financial, facilities, training centre, stadium and also they play in a very strong league,” Martins Neiva told Flashscore.
“It is the reason competing against them (Al Ahly) is not an easy task, they are always the favourites when drawn against any team. We have many teams in the same level as Al Ahly in Africa, so honestly speaking, you cannot compare Gor Mahia to Al Ahly, but with proper planning, we may see Gor Mahia reach the same level in the near future.”
However, Martins Neiva praised his troops saying they played better than they did in the first leg but their decision making in defending set pieces resulted in the outcome.
“The game, it was a good game for sure, tough game for us, but we managed well the first 20 to 25 minutes, they scored from set pieces/dead balls, they are very strong on this issue, and we were not alert enough to deal with the crosses,” added Martins Neiva.
The Brazilian added: “It was fairer...they scored the first goal not so early due to set pieces (corner) at 23 minutes but we played with more concentration and focus than in the first leg, then the second goal they broke our lines in the second half at 54 minutes to punish us.
“Overall, I think it was an amazing opportunity to provide international experience and exposure for our players and to learn more on how to approach this level of football.”
Gor Mahia will now shift their focus to winning a third straight Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League and the domestic. K’Ogalo are yet to play a single game in the league as their first two matches were shelved to give them humble time to prepare for the Champions League.
Asked about his immediate plans following the exit, Martins Neiva said: “For now, our plan is to recover from these two tough games and make sure we transfer this energy, effort, and level to the Premier League. We must transfer this commitment to try to win the first game of the Premier League.”
Gor Mahia’s first league match will pit them against promoted side Mathare United on Saturday, September 28th. Mathare United have already played three matches in the league, losing one and drawing two.
How Gor Mahia fans reacted to Al Ahly defeat
A section of Gor Mahia fans felt the club should invest in players if they are to compete with the best teams in Africa.
“Truth be told Gor Mahia was chasing shadows, from incomplete passes to others. Invest in players,” said Othuon Abdi on social media pages, while Ongoo Wang'e Riek wrote: “Gor Mahia is playing according to its standards and quality which is below continental football, no one should blame them, that’s their standards.”
Joseph Banda said: “That is Al Ahly, a well-organised team with fully functional departments cutting across the team... We are really short in comparison thus getting a fair result against them was a tall order,” while Dee Nick opined: “Very horrible performance from the record KPL champions. This is a wake-up call to current Gor Mahia leadership to change how the club is managed. They must find ways of getting more money to invest in quality players and good infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, Thefolse Profet believes should Gor Mahia maintain the same squad for next season, they will do better. “We played well, if we maintain this team for next season, we will be in the group stage,” while Odhiambo Otieno concluded: “Ahly are technically better than us. Their passes are short and accurate. Very good pass and move. Ahly players release the ball as soon as they have it. Gor should have a joint training session with Ahly before returning. Next season we will be stronger.”
Kenya Police's CAF journey ended by Zamalek
Kenya’s other representatives in the Confederation Cup, Kenya Police FC failed to go past the second preliminary round after losing 3-1 on aggregate against Zamalek of Egypt on Friday, September 21st.
Police, who were making their debut in the competition, had lost the first leg 1-0 in Nairobi. Their spirited bid to overturn the result suffered a blow in Cairo after they lost 2-1 in the return leg at the Cairo International Stadium.
After managing to hold the defending champions to a 0-0 first half result, the White Knights, however, took control in the second half. Ahmed ‘Zizo’ Sayed broke the deadlock in the 56th minute, after volleying a cross past Kenya national team Harambee Stars goalkeeper Patrick Matasi for the opener.
Just four minutes later, the hosts doubled their lead in fortuitous fashion. A miscommunication between Police defender Musa Mohamed and Matasi allowed Nasser Maher to pounce on the loose ball and slot it into the net, extending Zamalek’s aggregate lead to 3-0.
Police briefly clawed their way back into the contest when former Zesco United striker Jesse Were headed in from a well-placed free-kick in the 65th minute, reducing the deficit to 2-1.
The visitors pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but they lacked the composure needed to find the back of the net. Tyson Otieno squandered a golden chance, sending his effort over the bar from close range, while Zamalek goalkeeper Mohamad Sobhi made crucial saves to maintain his side’s lead.
Police will shift their attention to the league and defending the domestic Cup. Their first league fixture will pit them against Tusker on Sunday, September 29th.
