Gor Mahia head coach Leonardo Neiva reckons the absence of five key players will not be an excuse not to bag maximum points against Nairobi City Stars at Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos, on Monday.
The record Kenyan champions will miss Sylvester Owino, Alphonse Ominja, Rooney Onyango, Geoffrey Ochieng and Austin Odhiambo.
They are on international duty with Harambee Stars in Juba, South Sudan, where they were scheduled to play the hosts in the 2025 Chan qualifier match on Sunday.
Neiva is confident he has players who can fill the void.
“The players’ absence will, undoubtedly, be felt but I do not think that will necessarily affect the results. We have other squad members capable of filling the void,” he said.
“Our squad depth will allow us to overcome any obstacles our opponents may present.”
He thinks the secret to defeating Nairobi City Stars will be constant effort and focus throughout the encounter.
He highlighted the importance of maintaining a high level of performance throughout the match.
“We are aware that our opponents are currently at the bottom of the standings, but that should not be an excuse for us to treat the match lightly,” Neiva said.
“We have to rise above our limitations and approach the match with the gravity it merits.”
Neiva added that the team has performed well lately and that there have been indications of progress.
The players are confident going into Monday’s match owing to their recent success.
Currently ranked ninth on the log, K’Ogalo have seven points from three games — two victories and a draw.
Skipper Philemon Otieno said his team needs to put in a lot of effort to bounce back from their barren draw against leaders KCB four days ago.
“The club’s performance against KCB was disappointing. We are now focused on improving our performance when we go up against City Stars,” he said.
“We only need to review our performance and identify areas where we need to improve.”
He underlined the value of cooperation and clear communication in the field.
“To turn around our fortunes,
we must keep a positive outlook
and concentrate on the task at
hand,” he concluded.
