Why Gor Mahia should focus on getting the job done

Nyasa Big Bullets 's Chiukepo Pulli (left) fights for the ball with Gor Mahia's Shafik Batambuze during their Caf Champions League preliminary round first leg encounter at the Kasarani Stadium on November 28, 2018. PHOTO | SILA KIPLAGAT |

What you need to know:

  • K'Ogalo must shut out Malawians in Blantrye.
  • Jacques Tuyisenge limped out of the encounter with an injury.
  • Despite the win, they fail to impress the home crowd.

Record Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia began their Caf Champions League campaign unconvincingly with a slim 1-0 win over Malawi’s Nyasa Big Bullets at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Wednesday.

It took Bernard Ondiek’s late winner for the Green Army to emerge victorious on a night where they deserved anything else but a win. Perhaps a draw would have been a fair result for both sides especially for the Malawians who religiously stuck to their game plan, sat back and shut out K’Ogalo for large spells of the match.

In all honesty, Zedekiah “Zico” Otieno’s charges looked disjointed in attack and Jacques Tuyisenge’s injury only made things worse for them. For all their rustiness, Gor still managed to win and that was the result they wanted heading to the return leg in a week’s time.

In last season’s first round, Gor basked in the positives of their impressive display at Machakos where they outplayed Tunisian giants Esperance in every department but failed to score. A 1-0 loss in the return leg saw them exit the competition as Esperance went all the way to the final and were eventually crowned African Champions.

That Gor is far from good is not in question. Tuyisenge limped out before the half hour, his replacement Erisa Ssekisambu was again withdrawn for Francis Mustapha and their creative cog Kenneth Muguna looked out of sorts and did not last 90 minutes. The team is a still a work in progress as the race against time continues with the squad yet to gel.

According to the club’s chairman Ambrose Rachier, a foreign coach is on the way to take over from interim coach Zico. His immediate assignment will be to mastermind Gor’s success in Blantyre. He will have express instructions; shut the Malawians out and qualify for first round.

But it will not be a walk in the park against a side that boasts the best home record in the Malawian top tier. Out of 13 home matches, they’ve won 11 and drawn two scoring 30 goals and conceded only three. On average they score at least two goals at Kamuzu Stadium.

In fact they scored five in their last match at Kamuzu, the FISD Challenge Cup quarter-final match against Chitipa United last Friday. Kalisto Pasuwa’s charges will certainly attack Gor from the onset to overturn the result and proceed to the next round.

Gor nonetheless still have an advantage no matter how small it is. The focus should now be on how to get the job done despite all odds seemingly stuck against them. The DNA of the big clubs world over is getting the result. If Gor want to restore lost glory at continental level they have to force a draw in Blantyre. A win will definitely be a plus.

However scrappy or impressive the performance will be, what will matter in the end is the result. An impressive performance that culminates in a bad result will be harshly criticized but a scrappy display that hatches a good result will ironically be applauded.

That’s the harsh reality of continental football. Over to you Zico and/or the new foreigner at the helm. The job just has to be done!