Gor Mahia 1-0 CNaPS: K'Ogalo hold nerve to edge CNaPS

Gor Mahia launched their Champions League campaign with a narrow 1-0 win over CNaPS of Madagascar in their first leg preliminary match at Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday.

Gor’s blistering start to the game was rewarded in the second minute when dead ball specialist Victor Ali Abondo kept his cool to convert from the spot, directing his shot to the bottom left corner to beat CNaPS goalkeeper Randrianasolo Leda after the latter had brought down Michael Olunga in the box.

New signing Ronald Omino, a livewire in the early stages, played a key role in the build up to the goal, dashing from the left wing to pick out Olunga, who made three steps forward only to be caught by Leda.

The hosts patronised the game in the first 20 minutes with Olunga a constant threat to the visitors’ defence.

Abondo had a neat chance to make it three goals in two games under a week, after his double act against Sofapaka on Wednesday in the Super Cup, but he curled his free kick wide off the far post in the 30th minute.

(READ: Gor Mahia floor Sofapaka in league curtain-raiser)

As K’Ogalo continued with the tide, the skies opened for a light shower making the surface slippery but still the home side could not widen the advantage.

Olunga, who was Gor’s  best performer in the evening, was lucky to escape a red card  when TV cameras captured him head-butting Lanto Miandrisao in an off-the-ball incident in the 25th minute, but his crime went unpunished as centre referee Mashood Ssali did not see the incident.

After the interval, the tide of the game dropped to a pedestrian pace with CNaPS showing more ambition as they forced Gor to the back foot for large spells. Winger Jimmy Olivier easily beat Gor defender Dirkir Glay to release a cross but Sarivalily Jean failed to connect.

DO WELL AT HOME

CNaPS could have salvaged a precious draw and an away goal late in the contest through Ralaidimy Olivier, who found himself unmarked in a one-on-one situation with K’Ogalo’s custodian Boniface Oluoch, but the latter did well to thwart his effort.

“We don’t know how good they (Gor) are until we play them in the return leg at home. I’m sure we will do well,” CNaPs coach Rabeharisua Herimanitra said after the match.

Gor stand-in skipper, Musa Mohammed, was cautiously optimistic: “A win is a win. We thank God for that and aim to win away. There are chances that we did not take today and we must work on that in the return leg.”

POTENTIAL ROUND-OF-32 BLOCKBUSTER

Elsewhere, Moroccan club Raja Casablanca made an impressive 2015 Champions League debut this weekend by winning 4-0 against Congolese visitors Diables Noirs.

A couple of late goals sealed a convincing preliminary round, first leg victory for the three-time African champions, with Adil Karrouchy and Abdeljalil Jbira scoring in stoppage time. Ivorian Kouko Guehi put the 1989, 1997 and 1999 title-winners ahead on 10 minutes and Nigerian Christian Osaguona doubled the advantage after 70 minutes.

Raja should comfortably survive the return match in Brazzaville this month to set up a potential round-of-32 blockbuster with South Africans Kaizer Chiefs. Moghreb Tetouan, the other Moroccan challengers for the biggest African club football prize, are in trouble after a 2-0 loss to CO Bamako in Mali.

Abdallah Diarra was the two-goal Bamako star, converting an early second-half penalty and scoring from a free kick that caught goalkeeper Mohammed El-Yousfi napping.

Defeat continues a run of disappointing international results for Moghreb, who were shocked by New Zealanders Auckland City last December in the Club World Cup in Morocco. Al-Ahly Tripoli edged Egyptians Smouha 1-0 in a fixture moved to Tunis because of escalating Libyan unrest.

Additional reporting by AFP