Herculean task for Gor, Police in Caf tourneys

The tale of the two Raymonds - Gor Mahia CEO Raymond Oruo and Kenya Police FC patron Raymond Omollo must be two very happy men after their respective teams weathered the storm to romp into the next stages of their continental campaigns.

While the first Raymond was calm after Gor were beaten 1-0 in Juba by Al Mareikh in Caf Champions League preliminaries saying that he was sure K’Ogalo would turn tables on their opponents in the reverse fixture, it was the second Raymond who must have laughed the loudest after his team, having all but been killed and buried in Nairobi,  had a Lazarus moment in Addis Ababa, resurrecting and beating the fancied Ethiopia Coffee 1-0 in Caf Confederation Cup.

“We should be able to close this with proper fielding. Early goal then we kill the game,” Oruo said at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after the team had just landed from the first leg in Juba.

Come the following Sunday and K’Ogalo turned into assassins, burying the South Sudanese 5-2 on aggregate to advance in the campaign. What an ecstatic moment it was for the hundreds of Gor Mahia fans aka ‘the Green Army’  that turned up to cheer their team at the Nyayo National Stadium.

It was a bad start for Gor as the the visitors stunned the home crowd early, with Samuel Akinbinu finding the back of the net in the 8th minute.

As their fans would always remind anyone who cares to listen, resilience is wired in Gor’s DNA and after the early shocker, Gor rallied back into the game, hitting back quickly as Chris Ochieng levelled the scores just three minutes later.

With the ease of experienced combat men, Gor took control of the match when Alphas Onyango doubled their lead in the 21st minute, and Alphonse Omija made it three before the half-time whistle.

The second half saw Rooney Onyango put behind his recent troubles associated with a bid to turn pro to net two goals for his much storeyed club, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Gor is now scheduled to face Egyptians giants Al Ahly on September 15 in a David vs Goliath fixture. The Cairo-based side has a CV that can impress even their most vile haters.

Founded in 1907, Al Ahly have won the Egyptian league a record 44 times and have taken the continental championship diadem 12 times.

It is at this time that maybe Gor should summon some prayerful men and women to read for them and proclaim the same promises God made to the children of Israel as they faced a looming annihilation from the fearsome Pharaoh’s army with the Red Sea facing them.

Exodus 14:13 would be apt: Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.”

Away from spiritual stamina, there is also the issue of the venue. Talk was rife in Gor Mahia’s circles that the club was in a conversation with Al Ahly to have the two legs of the fixture in Cairo.

“If Al Ahly agree with this proposal it would be a win-win for Gor. The Arabs can host us there and we play both our games there, share with us proceeds from one of the matches and we come back home,”  a supporter said.

However, Gor’s chairman Ambrose Rachier dismissed this outright, saying he was in talks with Sports CS Kipchumba Murkomen to have the planned renovations at Nyayo National Stadium put on hold until after 15 September when Gor will host Al Ahly.

“I am soon talking to the minister and I am sure we will get a favourable response,” Rachier said. Now Rachier has been a lecturer at the Kenya School of Law for a number of years and chances are Murkomen was at one time his student. If that is the case then it should be a shoo-in for the chairman as he talks to his former student. After throwing away a crucial home advantage to draw 0-0 with Ethiopia Coffee, Kenya Police drew 0-0 with the Ethiopians to proceed.

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