Gor Mahia Coach Counts on K’Ogalo’s Good Character to End 41-Year CECAFA Kagame Cup Wait

Gor Mahia coach Charles Akonnor is positive that his team will end their long wait for a CECAFA Kagame Cup title by beating Rwanda’s Rayon Sport in Friday’s final.

K’Ogalo face the Rwandan giants at the Amahoro Stadium looking to claim the crown that they last won in 1985. Their journey has been a challenging one as having beaten APR 5-0, they lost 1-0 to Viper SC before securing a slim 1-0 victory against Garde Republicaine to seal their ticket to the semi-final.

At the semis, the Kenyan champions needed post-match penalties to eliminate Al Hilal of Sudan following a 1-1 draw in regulation time. However, Rayon Sport have been flawless with four straight wins, scoring seven goals and conceding just once.

Akonnor knows fully well what his team is up against but is unfazed and ready to find a winning formula.

“Our journey to the final has been good. We had a chance to play one of the biggest teams in the country [Rwanda] APR and we showed what we are made of. Our second match was a difficult one, we were able to do well but we lost,” Akonnor said on Thursday.

“The next level we have gone through several challenges but my boys have been able to show resilience by how we have played. There was a time we were down by one man but we kept the discipline and quality of how we want to play and it was not easy to see that we were one man down because of the way we played.

“They have shown great character and good attitude on the pitch,” added the Ghanaian coach.

Rayon Sport have already played Gor Mahia in recent days, having handed them a 2-0 defeat just before the Kagame Cup began but Akonnor feels this will be different.

The Gor Mahia coach has confirmed that midfielder Alpha Onyango will be available, having sat out the semi-final due to suspension, but Jackson Dwang will be missing in action following his sending off against Al Hilal.

“We look at how we can be able to penetrate them, it is very challenging but we will always have to find solutions,” added Akonnor.

“As a coach, I am always hungry and when I look at the opponent, I look to find solutions and lots of ideas on how to approach the game and we will have a way of playing. We will talk to our boys and one good thing about them is that they listen.”

The match will kick off at 7pm Kenyan time with Gor Mahia looking for their fourth overall title having won in 1980, 1981 and 1985.