Gor Mahia and Kenya Police FC will take to the pitch this afternoon, each aiming to secure qualification for the first round of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup, respectively.K’Ogalo, will face Al Merreikh Bentiu of South Sudan in a CAF Champions League return leg at the Nyayo National Stadium. Having suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Juba, they will be determined to overturn the deficit. The decisive goal in the first leg was scored by Musa Mohammed.##NAJAVA_MECA_8291054##The aggregate winner of this tie will advance to face reigning champions Al Ahly in the first round, with the group stage within reach.In the previous match, Gor Mahia missed key players right-back Rooney Onyango and midfielder Musa Masika, whose passports were confiscated by the Italian embassy due to forgery allegations. Unless the situation changes, they are expected to miss the return leg as well. Starman Austin Odhiambo who started off the first in the first leg is expected to be in the starting XI.Tensions have risen between the two teams’ coaches since the first leg, with Gor Mahia’s coach Leonardo Neiva accusing Al Merreikh of unsportsmanlike behavior, particularly time-wasting tactics.”They can’t play the ball on the ground. After they scored the first goal, football was over. There was no more football. They kept falling on the ground every time. That is the old-fashioned style, even for African football,” Neiva remarked.Mara Sugar appoint former Gor Mahia forward as head coach 24-hours to FKFPL debutIn response, Al Merreikh coach Bentiu Ramzi Sebit defended his team’s approach, stating, “It is part of the game. Jose Mourinho once said: play ugly but win. That is how we beat Gor Mahia. If need be, we will do that again. The Gor Mahia coach is from Brazil while I am from South Sudan; I will teach him next time.”The match is scheduled to kick off at 3 PM.Meanwhile, in Ethiopia, Kenya Police FC will be looking for an away victory against Ethiopia Coffee SC to progress to the CAF Confederation Cup’s first round. The first leg at Nyayo Stadium ended in a goalless draw, leaving Police FC with a challenging task to secure progression.The Salim Babu-led side squandered several chances in the first leg and must now make amends to advance, where champions Zamalek await.Police FC faced adversity in the first leg, with Kenneth Muguna suspended and David Owino injured. Additionally, Brian Musa sustained an injury early in the match, and the team will be hoping for positive news from the injury room ahead of today’s game.Despite the setbacks, Police FC assistant coach Anthony Kimani remains optimistic about their chances in Ethiopia.”It’s not over yet. We still have another 90 minutes to play in Ethiopia, and I’m confident we’ll address those mistakes before then. My players performed well and followed instructions. We dominated the match and created opportunities, but we lacked the final touch. This week, we’ll concentrate on converting those chances into goals,” Kimani said.The game is set to begin at 3 PM.Hussein Mohammed content with outcomes of FKF Special General Meeting
