Gor Mahia captain Haroun Shakava is keen to end the club’s 34-year long wait for the Cecafa Kagame Cup which gets underway this weekend in Rwanda.
Gor last savoured the regional inter-club tournament in 1985 after seeing off their traditional nemesis AFC Leopards 2-0 in the finals held in Sudan and Shakava has vowed to skipper the club to their fourth title. Gor had also won the Cup in 1980 and 1981.
The Kenyan champions who are scheduled to play their matches at the Umuganda Stadium have been drawn in a relatively easy Pool D, where they will come up against DC Motema Pembe of DR Congo, KMKM of Zanzibar and AS Ports of Djibouti and Shakava is upbeat that they will sail unscathed to the finals and lay hands on the trophy.
Last year in Tanzania, a superstitious K’Ogalo, who fell to Azam in the semis were forced to contend with a third place after edging Jeshi La Kujenga Uchumi (JKU) from Zanzibar 2-0 in the playoffs.
Gor’s third-place finish in last year’s tournament proved hard to take for the playing unit who declined to collect their bronze medal, prompting the regional body to temporarily suspend them from the tournament. It took an apology from Gor management to Cecafa fraternity to be re-admitted.
“I am looking forward to the tournament and I am confident of recapturing the title. This is a good platform to step up our preseason plans ahead of next season. I know the coach and the rest of the players are equally eying glory and I am sure, collectively, we will achieve it.”
Meanwhile, Shakava, who is a former Kakamega Homeboyz player, who has been linked with a move to Zambia and Wazito has refuted claims. He said he has six more months remaining on his contract and has an option of extending should the talks with the management bear fruit. “I have been approached by two Zambian clubs and Wazito here at home but I am not in a hurry to make a decision on my next move.”
