Similar to last season, this was yet another disappointing exit in continental football for Gor Mahia. It was disappointing simply because it was against a team that was not necessarily superior to us, either in personnel or tactics, but a team that three seasons ago we would have been comfortably eliminating. The biggest disappointment though is that this exit is purely down to disorganization at the club. In the first leg, the club played with only one substitute on the bench, while in the second leg, we had players that could have influenced the game not able to play because they were not registered in time for the tournament. Harrison decries the great handicap Gor Mahia had in Confederation Cup fixturesBack in 2015, we narrowly lost to AC Leopards with players like Meddie Kagere and Karim Nizigiyimana unable to feature as they were transferred in late in the day. That team had the ability to make into the group stage of the competition that year. One would have thought that the club administrators would have learned their lessons then it looks like groundhogs day every other season. Despite the fact that Gor Mahia FC was knocked out of the CAF Confederation Cup by a Congolese club, Otoyo, yesterday at Nyayo Stadium, I was very impressed by the return of fans and supporters, particularly Jotene! pic.twitter.com/w2ROJhOUqR— Sally Bolo (@SallyBolo) December 6, 2021 Putting up strong performances in continental football is all about solid management at the end of the day, with planning being the most critical element. One would expect that by the time the team qualifies for the competition, planning for the tournament kicks in immediately yet this is something that seems to slip by our managers every other year. While the FIFA transfer bans could be used as an excuse for late signing of players, the club was aware of this threat all along and knew what needed to be done. With the season beginning, fans were not even sure which players were part of the team and who were not. Something needs to give, something that will pave way for ruthless planning of the playing unit. ##EDITORS_CHOICE##On the local front, the club has so far looked fairly decent, especially owing to the availability of some of the late signings, notably Austin Odhiambo and Peter Lwasa. As a minimum we expect the club to challenge for the title, and with fans back in the stadium, the green army will available to provide the team with the necessary push and motivation if what we saw last Sunday is anything to go by. Success on the domestic front will mean another stab at the continental trophies and it is hoped that the management will ensure some sense of stability in this team, especially with the dark cloud of transfer bans still hanging over the club. Windfall for lucky punter from Ksh 500 stake
