Tusker save Kenya's face as Gor Mahia suffer CAF humiliation

Gor Mahia captain Mike Kibwage and Pyramids' Ahmed Elshenawi at Nyayo Stadium. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Kenyan football has been left with plenty to reflect on after Gor Mahia’s humiliating exit from the CAF Champions League and Tusker’s narrow survival in the Confederation Cup.

While Tusker marched into the second round, Gor Mahia were swept aside by Egyptian giants Pyramids FC, losing 5-1 in Cairo on Sunday to bow out 7-1 on aggregate.

The contrasting fortunes expose the gap between Kenyan clubs and some of Africa’s leading sides, but they also point to a bigger problem at home, the failure to kick off the SportPesa Premier League on time.

Both Gor and Tusker went into their continental assignments without the benefit of competitive league matches. That lack of proper preparation was always going to make the task harder, especially against opponents from countries where domestic football is already running.

Gor’s defeat was particularly painful because the Kenyan champions were expected to put up a stronger fight after losing the first leg 2-0 at Nyayo National Stadium.

Instead, a series of defensive mistakes turned the return match into a nightmare.

Pyramids took control through Walid El-Khati’s 27th-minute header before Nasser Maher doubled the advantage 11 minutes later after Gor failed to deal with a neat passing move inside the box.

Youssef Obama made it 3-0 shortly after the break, leaving Gor with little hope of making a comeback.

David Okoth gave the visitors something to celebrate in stoppage time when he pulled one back, making Gor the first team to score against Pyramids this season.

But any hope of a late fightback disappeared when goalkeeper Bryne Omondi took too long to clear a back pass from Frank Odhiambo, allowing Mostafa Zico to score into an empty net.

Mahmoud Zalaka added another in the closing moments after dribbling past Omondi, completing a miserable night for the Kenyan champions.

There was little to suggest Gor could compete with Pyramids over the two legs. The Egyptian side looked sharper, stronger and more organised, but Gor also made matters worse through errors that should have been avoided at this level.

The result should force the club and the wider Kenyan football family to ask difficult questions about the state of the game.

Tusker, meanwhile, gave Kenyan football something to smile about by beating Sudanese side Al Ahli Wad Madani 1-0 at Nyayo on Saturday to advance 3-2 on aggregate.

Chrispine Erambo scored the decisive goal as Tusker recovered from a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Kigali.

The Brewers had surrendered a two-goal lead in that match but showed greater control in the return fixture to secure their place in the second round.

Coach Julien Mette knows there is still much work to do as Tusker seek to emulate Nairobi United’s run to the group stage last season and go even further.

“We have to learn from what happened in the first leg,” Mette said. “Now we know them 100 per cent, so we will not be surprised.”

Tusker’s progress deserves credit, particularly given the same difficult circumstances facing Kenyan clubs. Their players had limited competitive football before being thrown into continental action, yet they found a way through.

But their success should not hide the bigger concern.

A delayed SportPesa Premier League is hurting Kenya’s representatives at a time when they need serious preparation for Africa. Clubs need regular competitive matches to build fitness, understanding and confidence.

Gor’s 7-1 aggregate humiliation should therefore be treated as a warning rather than an isolated failure.

Tusker remains Kenya’s only hope in the CAF competitions.