Oliech issues rallying cry ahead of Berkane clash
What you need to know:
- Togolese hitman Kodjo Fodoh Labah is the team’s most dangerous player. He has scored five times in the competition this season, same as Tuyisenge.
- At stake for the tie’s aggregate winner is a place in the semi-final of the continent’s second tier club competition.
- These two teams have already been awarded Sh45 million by the tournament organisers for making it to this stage of the competition.
Gor Mahia forward Dennis Oliech has discussed the importance of ‘finishing the job at home’ - so to speak - when his side plays host to Morocco’s Nahdat Berkane (or RS Berkane) in Sunday’s first leg of the Caf Confederation Cup quarter-final at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
The North African team led by coach Mounir Jaouani secretly landed in Nairobi on Wednesday afternoon and checked in at the Raddison Blue hotel in Upper Hill in readiness for the contest.
Oliech, scorer of two goals during Gor’s 4-0 thrashing of Zoo Kericho in a league match last week, is primed to replace the suspended Jacques Tuyisenge in attack.
Boasting eighteen years’ experience as a professional footballer stretching back to his debut at Kenyan Premier League side Mathare United in 2001, plus additional spells in the top-flight football leagues in Qatar, France, and United Arab Emirates, 34-year old Oliech certainly knows a thing or two about approaching high pressure games when the stakes are high.
“It’s a tough game but we need to ensure we finish the job in the first leg. We need to win and win by a big margin to make the return tie easier for us,” said Oliech, who recently became a dad for the third time.
Gor Mahia have been impressive at home on continental duty this term, beating Malawi’s Nyasa Bullets 1-0, Nigeria’s Lobi Stars 1-0, New Star (Cameroon) 1-0, Zamalek (Egypt) 4-2, Petro Atletico (Angola) 1-0 and NA Hussein Dey (Algeria) 2-0.
But the Kenyan champions have struggled away from home in the process and are yet to win a match away with a 4-0 group stage thrashing at the hands of Zamalek in Cairo a result Oliech and company would rather not discuss.
Despite that perfect home record, K’Ogalo will have to be wary of a Berkane outfit which boasts an impressive away record in this competition this season.
The Oranges have defeated Al Ittihad (Libya) 1-0 and Senegal ASC Diaraf 2-1 in Tripoli and Dakar and also won in all their five home matches in this competition save for a 0-0 draw against crosstown rivals Raja Casablanca in the group stage.
Togolese hitman Kodjo Fodoh Labah is the team’s most dangerous player. He has scored five times in the competition this season, same as Tuyisenge.
At stake for the tie’s aggregate winner is a place in the semi-final of the continent’s second tier club competition.
These two teams have already been awarded Sh45 million by the tournament organisers for making it to this stage of the competition.
