Gor Mahia Setback as New Signing is Set to Miss CAF Champion League Openers

Gor Mahia will have to do without one of their new players when they begin their CAF Champions League campaign.

K’Ogalo will start their Champions League run at the first preliminary round where lower-ranked teams play home-and-away legs and for these games, they will have to do without new signing Enock Machaka.

The midfielder, who is among a host of players that have strengthened Gor Mahia ahead of next season, is suspended after receiving a straight red card during Nairobi United’s CAF Confederation Cup group stage match against Congolese side Maniema Union in February.

In what was Naibois' final match in a group where they were not able to win a single game, Machaka was sent off in the 57th minute.

Machaka had just come on in the 46th minute but did not last long on the pitch as he was shown a straight red card for a clumsy foul on Jeancy Mboma, who had scored the Congolese side’s third goal on the stroke of halftime in a game Maniema Union won 3-0.

The CAF Champions League preliminary round draw will take place on August 6 in Cairo while the first preliminary round matches will be held between September 4 and 6 before the second (September 11-13) and Gor Mahia coach Charles Akonnor has to find other options as he will not rely on the former Nairobi United star.

Gor Mahia won the race for the highly-rated midfielder, beating off competition from local rivals, among them Kenya Police, after he had impressed during his spell at Nairobi United.

Machaka was the most outstanding player for the 2024-25 FKF Cup winners during their debut season in the FKF Premier League in 2025-26, and was crowned the club’s Overall Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season before he completed his transfer to Gor Mahia.