CAF Champions League: Ex-Kenyan striker Elijah Onsika predicts struggle for Gor Mahia

K'Ogalo will make a return to the lucrative inter-club competition following their success to retain the Kenyan league title at the end of last season. However, their recent performance during the 2024 edition of the CECAFA Kagame Cup left a lot to be desired with many Kenyan football lovers getting concerned with their readiness to have a successful campaign in the CAF competition.

Gor Mahia endured a frustrating time in Tanzania, finishing their Group B matches without a win. They lost their opener 1-0 against guest team and eventual winners Red Arrows of Zambia, drew 1-1 against ASAS Djibouti Telecom and lost 2-0 against Al Hilal of Sudan to exit the regional tournament, they have previously won three times, at the group stage.

This is despite the fact they have been dominant domestically, and recently clinched a record 21st league title with three matches to spare. Their display in Tanzania left question marks on how they have managed to dominate the local scene.

Gor Mahia have been drawn to face El Merriekh Bentiu of South Sudan in the first preliminary round of the Champions League with African champions Al Ahly awaiting in the second round if they manage to qualify.

Gor Mahia not ready for continental return

According to Onsika, who played for Kisumu Posta in the Kenya league during the mid-80s and 90s, K'Ogalo's display in Tanzania exposed their weaknesses that must be worked on if they are to leave any mark in the African competition.

Last season, Gor Mahia won the title but could not participate after they were barred by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for their failure to meet part of the club licensing requirements.

"Was that Gor Mahia playing in Tanzania? Let me hope it was not Gor Mahia. Is that how they plan to play in the Champions League? Let me hope not, they were disastrous to say the least and I hope they will work on their mistakes before they kick off  Champions League campaign," Onsika told Flashscore.

"We all understand they were using CECAFA to gauge their new players but I must admit they were very poor in all departments, that is not the Gor Mahia that has been tormenting teams in the Kenyan Premier League, they lacked everything a champion needs to have, they looked a pale shadow of their old self.

"I had the privilege to watch all their group matches, their goalkeeping area was wanting, the defensive line very shaky, the midfield lacked the creativity of Austin (Odhiambo), the striking force was very poor, no commitment to aim at goal, I don't think anything worked in their favour."

Onsika continued: "The CECAFA tournament exposed Gor Mahia and they must work tireslessly to make amends, they have dominated the local scene for a while now but CECAFA showed Kenya's FKF Premier League lacks teams capable of challenging Gor Mahia for the title. They (Gor Mahia) have always found it easy and it is the reason they have been winning titles year in year out.

"Gor Mahia have taken advantage of teams not being serious to rule. If Kenyan teams could plan well and get serious to compete, then Gor Mahia will become a shadow in the local league, they cannot win it. Look, why couldn't they even beat the team from Djibouti, it was a game they should have won, but they only managed to draw."

Onsika admitted that while Gor Mahia are the favourites to get past El Merreikh Bentiu, there campaign could come to an end at the hands of the North African giants in the second round. Gor Mahia will begin their journey with an away match against the South Sudanese club on August 16th before the return leg planned for Nairobi on August 23rd.

"It may be easy for Gor Mahia against El Merriekh, they are the favourites considering the history of the two teams, but against Al Ahly they must get ready to fight and qualify. We all know Kenyan teams have always struggled when playing against North African teams and Al Ahly will be a tough test for Gor Mahia," concluded Onsika.

Onsika's sentiments came after former Gor Mahia defender Sammy 'Pamzo' Omollo said the team's dominance in the local scene was not because they were a good side but because other teams were not serious in competing against them.

“Gor Mahia has won the league twice in a row because Tusker and Ulinzi Stars have blundered, KCB have slept, and their biggest rival AFC Leopards have slept the most,” Omollo, who currently handles Shabana FC in the Premier League, told Radio 47. “They are not winning because they are good, but because teams (that are supposed to challenge them) are handing the league to Gor Mahia.

“If you watched Gor Mahia’s final games of the season, although they had already sealed the league title, they were struggling. Gor Mahia took advantage of other teams’ struggles and bagged the league,”

On Gor Mahia's display in Tanzania, Omollo said: “They went to Tanzania and got exposed. If these teams were challenging Gor, they would not even have gone to Kagame Cup.

“Even last season, there are games they were winning but struggling. Even when we (Shabana) played against them, we could see their weaknesses."

Gor Mahia standards below average

While admitting that Gor Mahia's standards have gone down in recent years, former club Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Omondi Aduda insisted their recent performance during the CECAFA tournament should not be used to measure the team's readiness for continental duties.

"2013, 2014, 2015, were these teams asleep? 2017, 2018, 2019 were the same teams asleep?," Aduda posed a question to Flashscore. "These were the days the said teams were really in good shape, but Gor Mahia still beat them and won the league not just back to back, but three years in a row.

"So their argument (that Gor Mahia is winning the league because other teams are sleeping) is hollow. While I agree that the standards of Gor Mahia in the last two years cannot be compared to the years I have mentioned, the winning mentality is still part of the team's DNA.

"The fact that the team didn't do well in CECAFA this time round should not be misconstrued to mean that the other teams in the Kenyan league are weak. What stopped the said teams from doing well?"

Aduda added: "The said teams have all that is required to form formidable outfits that can challenge Gor Mahia and what they have are their best in terms of squads.  They should stop whining nobody has stopped them from going for the best in order for them to compete with Gor Mahia for the title."

Aduda further defended claims by a section of fans that new Brazilian coach Leonardo Martins Neiva will not finish the season with Gor Mahia because of the poor results.

"The coach had trained the team just under a week before CECAFA, and the players had been given two weeks of after the league ended late last month, there is time for the team to jell together," offered Aduda.

"CECAFA gave him (Martins Neiva) the opportunity to study the players while using the same as a pre-season activity, the team is going to Nigeria and will still use the same tournament as part of pre-season. The season will begin in August and he is there for the long hog."

Coach Martins Neiva will have an opportunity to make amends when Gor Mahia travel to Nigeria for the inaugural Coal City International Cup where a total of eight teams will take part with Brazilian giants Esporte Clube Vitoria among those invited.

Other teams include Sierra Leone’s FC Kallon, and Cotton FC from the Republic of Benin, while Nigeria, the host of the event, will be represented by the quartet of Enugu Rangers, Aba Elephants’ Enyimba, Kano Pillars, and Ogun State-based Remo Stars.

K’Ogalo will kick off their campaign against the Brazilian heavyweights on August 2, in Enugu and face Remo Stars of Ogun State on August 4, before winding up their preliminary group fixtures with a clash against Kano Pillars on August 6.

Financial incentives are significant, with Gor Mahia guaranteed an appearance fee of N5 million (approximately Ksh478,000) per match.