Gor draw Malawi opponents in Caf Champs League

What you need to know:

  • The opening of the two-legged match will be staged at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi on November 24 or 25, with the return leg slated for the 65,000 seater Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, Malawi a week later.

Gor Mahia captain Harun Shakava is optimistic his team 'has enough' to defeat Malawi's Nyasa Bullets in the preliminaries of the 2018/19 Caf Champions League.

The central defender, who is part of the Kenyan champions squad currently touring England, told Nation Sport on Friday moments after the Caf paired K'Ogalo with their Malawian counterparts in the first round preliminaries of Africa's premier club competition.

The opening of the two-legged match will be staged at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi on November 24 or 25, with the return leg slated for the 65,000 seater Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, Malawi a week later.

"There are no easy games in that competition," said Shakava.

"We have an advantage of starting our preparation early enough and have already played Everton which is a big club. With the experience we have after competing in the continental championships last year, I think we have enough arsenal to eliminate them."

A win over Bullets will guarantee the Kenyan champions a more tricky assignment against Cameroon's USM de Loum or Nigeria's Lobi Stars in the first round.

K'Ogalo are eyeing qualification to the money-spinning group stage of the competition, a feat that comes along with atleast a Sh56 million prize and have acquired Ugandans Shafik Batambuze and Erisa Karissa, plus former Zoo Kericho forward Nicholas Kipkurui to bolster their squad.

In a related development, debutants Kariobangi Sharks have been handed a relatively easier assignment on paper in the Caf Confederation Cup.

The FKF SportPesa Shield holders will face Djibouti's Arta Solar 7 in the continent's second-tier club competition. A win for Sharks could pit them against seasoned Ghanaian side Asante Kotoko in the subsequent phase of the competition.