Gor Mahia dealt setback as CAF makes amendments to club competition rules

Gor Mahia

FKFPL Gor Mahia dealt setback as CAF makes amendments to club competition rules

Mark Kinyanjui 10:49 - 08.07.2023

K'Ogalo will now have to put all their efforts into the more daunting Champions League as there will be no second opportunity at continental football next season

Confederation of African Football (CAF) have made amendments that include cancelling the playoff round of the CAF Confederation Cup from the 2023-24 season which is set to affect a number of teams, including Kenya's Gor Mahia.

This means that teams that are knocked out of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round won't get the chance to participate in the Confederation Cup.

This will come as a blow to newly-crowned FKF Premier League champions Gor Mahia, who used this route to get to the quarter-finals of the Confederation Cup in the 2018-2019 season.

Having won the FKF Premier League title in 2018, they qualified for the 2018/2019 Champions League preliminary rounds, where they beat Malawian outfit Nyasa Big Bullets.

They then faced Nigerian outfit Lobi Stars and drew 3-3 over both legs, but Stars proceed to the second round of the Champions League on away goals rule, which relegated Gor to the Confederations Cup playoff, where they beat Cameroon’s New Star to qualify for the group stages of the second tier African club showpiece for the first time in their history.

With the new amendment, K’Ogalo will have to put all their eggs into the more daunting Champions League and do everything in their powers to reach the group stages.

Kakamega Homeboyz are the other Kenyan representatives at the continental stage having won the Mozzart Bet Cup to qualify for their maiden showpiece and are likely to start at the preliminary round of the Confederation Cup.

Gor have already identified potential signings ahead of next season's CAF Champions League, in which they are hopeful to post good results. 

Coach Johnathan McKinstry met some of the new charges he intends to sign for the continental showpiece on Wednesday.

"It's always a difficult decision to do away with some of your good players, but we have planned to bring even best players from across Africa to the team," McKinstry told Pulse Sports.

"I have already negotiated with the incoming players, that's the only way to stay ahead of other teams in the league and to prepare for CAF, it's all about moving forward."