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Neiva believes his charges have "work to do" if they are to stand a chance of overcoming Al Ahly after they easily tossed aside South Sudan's El Merreikh Bentiu 5-1 on Sunday,
Gor Mahia's head coach, Leo Neiva, remains cautious despite his team's emphatic 5-1 victory over South Sudan's El Merreikh Bentiu in the first preliminary round of the CAF Champions League.
The win, secured on Sunday at home, overturned a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Juba and set up a daunting clash against African giants Al Ahly in September.
K’Ogalo's goals came from Chris Ochieng, John Ochieng, Alphonce Omija, and Harambee Stars regular Rooney Onyango, who scored twice to lead the comeback.
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11:47 - 26.08.2024
Stars Abroad: Joseph Okumu impresses in Reims' draw against Mason Greenwood's Marseille as Ayunga fires blanks in Celtic defeat
Ayunga featured for 45 minutes but could not help St. Mirren overcome Celtic in a heavy defeat inflicted on Stephen Robinson's men on Sunday, while Joseph Okumu helped Reims labour to draw against Mason Greenwood's Marseille.
Despite the five-star performance, Neiva emphasized that there is still room for improvement before facing the record African champions.
“We are very satisfied and happy about the win today, but sometimes, a huge result like this can cover the mistakes within,” Neiva said in a post-match interview.
“We still have a lot of work to do…we should not stop. We should increase a lot. We controlled the majority of the game, but in the last 15 minutes, they were in control. We were good on the transition, and that’s how we managed to score the two goals.”
With this victory, Gor Mahia now faces a formidable opponent in Al Ahly, a team Neiva described as the "Real Madrid of Africa."
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17:29 - 25.08.2024
CAF Champions League: Gor Mahia confirm dreaded date with Al Ahly after tossing out poor El Merreikh
Despite going a goal down early on in the game, Gor Mahia toyed with El Merreikh all game and deservedly beat the Sudanese side 5-1 in the end.
The first leg of the double-header will take place at home, followed by a challenging trip to Egypt for the return leg.
“Now we have a huge test coming up for us against Al Ahly, who are one of the best sides on the African continent,” Neiva remarked.
“We will play our game against them and put our best effort. It will be a huge test of our character and an opportunity for the players to expose themselves at the highest level.”
Neiva insists that in football anything can happen and despite Al Ahly’s decorations, the match will be decided on the pitch.
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09:42 - 26.08.2024
CAF inter-club competitions: Do Gor Mahia & Kenya Police have a chance against Egyptian giants?
Kenyan sides Gor Mahia and Kenya Police have their work cut out after setting up meetings with Egyptian giants Al Ahly and Zamalek in their respective CAF competitions.
“Against, Al Ahly we will try our best and play football. Obviously, we cannot expose ourselves and therefore our shape and model will be different. We have enough time to prepare for them.”
He also urged his players not to let the big win carry them away but rather stay humble and keep their feet on the ground.
“We cannot afford to be comfortable because of the results today. We must keep pushing ourselves to get better results."
This was coach Neiva’s first win in a competitive match and the huge result will certainly boost not just the team’s confidence but also the impatient fans.
As Gor Mahia prepares for this significant encounter, Neiva’s focus will be on refining the team’s strategy and addressing the areas of concern he identified, ensuring that K’Ogalo is ready to take on the Egyptian giants in what promises to be a defining moment for the club.
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