Gor Mahia came away with a creditable goalless draw from their first leg of their preliminary round of the Caf Champions League against Aigle Noir of Burundi.
The stalemate gives K’Ogallo a good chance of reaching the first round of Africa’s premier club football competition.
It was a positive start for newly installed coach Steven Polack who only took charge of the club 24 hours before they flew out to Burundi. Pollack did not have many headaches in naming his first eleven despite not having time in training with the team as Kogallo had only 15 players available for the clash with Aigle Noir of Burundi.
Tanzanian goalkeeper David Mapigano got the nod between the posts ahead of Patrick Odhiambo. Mapigano joined K’Ogalo from Singida and has made two starts for the team in Cecafa Club Championships where he impressed hugely.
In central defence, stalwarts Joash Onyango and Charles Momanyi were the indisputable central defensive pairing in their post-Haroun Shakava partnership with Geoffrey Ochieng and Wellington Ochieng manning the full-back positions in an experienced defensive quartet.
New signing Tobias Otieno was chosen to anchor the midfield alongside newly installed skipper Kenneth Muguna and Lawrence Juma who were deployed slightly ahead of him.
Nicholas Kipkirui spearheaded K’Ogalo’s three-pronged attack with Boniface Omondi and Dickson Ambundo flanking him. The winner of this encounter whose second leg will be played on August 23-25 will face either AS Sonidep of Niger or USM Alger of Algeria—a team Gor will be very much familiar with after their duels last year.
