Gor Mahia to face Zambian side in Cecafa quarters

IN RUBAVU, RWANDA

Gor Mahia will face Zambia's Green Eagles in the quarter-finals of the ongoing Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations in Kigali on Wednesday.

This after the Kenyan champions completed an impressive clean sweep in Group 'D' here in Rubavu on Sunday with a win over 10-man Kikosi Maalum Cha Kuzuia Magendo from Zanzibar.

This match ended 1-0, with Eric Ombija scoring the only goal of the game late on.

He headed home a Hashim Sempala cross past KMKM keeper Nassor Abdalla who had impressed throughout the game.

With this result, Gor finished its group matches with maximum points from three matches against KMKM, DR Congo's AS Maniema and Djibouti's AS Port.

Only APR in Group 'C' out of the 16 teams competing in this tournament, have managed to win all its pool engagements.

KMKM finished last with no point from as many games in the group, and are eliminated.

In other quarter-finals matches, Rwandan champions Rayon Sport will play Uganda's KCCA, as Tanzania's Azam entertain African bigwigs TP Mazembe.

Rwandan Army club APR will, meanwhile face either DR Congo's AS Maniema or Djibouti's AS Port 

Gor coach Hassan Oktay made a host of changes, perhaps with one eye on the quarter-finals which commence in Kigali on Wednesday.

First teamers Boniface Oluoch, Charles Momanyi, Kenneth Muguna, Haruna Shakava and Nicholas Kipkurui were all rested, with new signings David Mapigano, Elvis Ronack, Eluid Lokuwam and Tobias Otieno playing in their stead.

"We are playing very many games in a short spell and I have to refresh the squad to avoid injuries. We are hoping to win this tournament," said Oktay.

Still, the Kenyan champions dominated against statistically the weakest team in the group.

With four minutes played, Dennis Oalo, the new signing from Nairobi Stima, had the ball in the net with a wonderful first touch off Samuel Onyango's pass.

But Ugandan referee William Oloya ruled that wasn't a goal, as the scorer had strayed in an offside position.

Three minutes later, Oalo missed a one-on-one chance against goalkeeper Nassor Abdalla with the later rushing off his line to clear the ball with his legs.

In between, the Zanzibar champions huffed and puffed. Said Mwinyi headed wide with only Mapigano to beat, while Ibrahim Khamis Khatib's long range shot blazed well wide.

That was before Oloya sent Samir Yahya off on the stroke of half time for a rash challenge, the player's second bookable offence.

Gor still lost conspired to lose chances the team would normally bury upon resumption. In the 51st minute, substitute Lawrence Juma blasted wide with a yawning net at his mercy.

Oktay would summon Shakava and Kipkurui midway through the second half and Gor piled more pressure as KMKM soaked it all in.