Lobi Stars 2 Gor Mahia 0: Heart break as Gor bow out out of the CAF Champions League

Gor Mahia Francis Mustafa(R) and Emmanuel Agbaji of Lobi Stars of Nigeria battle for the ball during their CAF confederation qualifier match at Kasarani Stadium on Sunday 16/12/18[Boniface Okendo,Standard]

K’ogalo concede late goals to Nigeria’s Lobi Stars to exit CAF Champions League

It was near yet so far for Gor Mahia as they crashed out of the CAF Champions League on Saturday after going down 2-0 to Lobi Stars of Nigeria.

The result means that Gor Mahia are out on the away goal rule as the two-legged match ended 3-3 on aggregate. The Kenyan champions had won the first leg 3-1 at home and needed a draw of any kind to protect the comfortable lead.

But it was not to be as the hosts scored two goals in the last 20 minutes of the match to ensure they made it to the group stages of the tournament and with it are assured of atleast Sh56million.

The home team got all their two goals through Sikiru Alimi in the 70th and 89th minutes.

This is the second time in a row that Gor Mahia are failing to make it to the group stages of CAF’s most prestigious and richest tournament.

Last year, Gor Mahia also fell at the same stage after going down 1-0 on aggregate to Esperance, the eventual winners of the Champions League.

Gor Mahia and the Tunisian giants had played to a barren draw at Machakos Municipal Stadium.

But it is not all over for Gor Mahia as they still remain in continental football and will now feature in the second tier Confederations Cup. As happened last year, the Kenyan champions are one match away from making it to the group stages of the Confederations Cup.

Gor Mahia made history last year by reaching the group stages of CAF’s second tier club competition and made it to the last eight and will be hoping that the disappointment of missing out on the Champions League will inspire them to at least the semi-finals where they are assured of more money and more exposure for their players.

The anticipation of Gor Mahia’s possible qualification to the group stages was high throughout the day and the club was the second trending topic on Twitter after Chief Justice David Maraga who had been involved in an accident.

The fans took to social media to express their disappointment. “Without any fear of contradiction, the Gor Mahia coach must take full responsibility for bottling a very good chance to join African elites’ league.

“With a decent first  leg lead, the coach fielded an extremely offensive team, in-fact more offensive than the team at home for the first leg. There was no natural defensive midfielder in the line-up away where you just needed to defend.

“Mieno, Muguna, Kahata and Onyango were in midfield today. Madness to say the least. Crafting Philemon into midfield would have been wiser. 

“Well, keeping the team in Ghana for two days was also more than suicidal and it came to bite. We live to fight another day,” said Dan Oketch  a staunch fan of the club.