Gor Mahia’s head coach, Leonardo Martins Neiva, has shared his thoughts following his team’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Zambia’s Red Arrows in their opening CECAFA Kagame Cup Group B match on Wednesday night at the Chamazi Complex in Dar es Salaam.James Chamanga netted the decisive goal in the 74th minute to hand the Zambian giants the three crucial points in a game where they had been on top for the better part.##NAJAVA_MECA_8204112##Reflecting on the match, Neiva acknowledged the difficulties his team faced. “It was a tough game for us, for both teams, to be honest,” he said. “The opponents controlled the game in the first half, especially in the first 25 minutes. But after that, we fixed some issues and we had some balance. The first half was 0-0, but they played better than us.”The Brazilian added that there was no cause for alarm as this match was just the beginning of his journey with Gor Mahia and highlighted the need for patience and time to address various aspects of the team’s performance. He also highlighted the positives that he has noticed in the team.”Of course, this was the first game for me as head coach. The players do not know me, and we need time to fix issues like technical, physical, and tactical,” he explained. “I am happy with the behavior, the character, and the attitude. They (players) fight, they are fighters. On that point, I am very satisfied.”CECAFA Kagame Cup: Leonardo Neiva’s reign at Gor Mahia off to a false start against Red ArrowsNeiva pointed out six areas that need improvement. “But we have to improve a lot on ball possession, increase the short passes, increase the movement without the ball, the penetration without the ball, the movements of the players, and also the harmony because we have new players,” he stated.He added that things will get better once the new signings settle in and emphasized the need to win their next game. “They are going to settle in well, and we will get better,’ he said. “We are now going to focus on the next game against Telkom and try to recover,” he concluded.With Gor Mahia currently sitting third in their four-team group without a point, Sunday’s clash with Telkom is set to be a crucial encounter as Neiva seeks to guide his team to their first victory under his leadership.
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