Gor coach Akonnor praying for a miracle in Cairo as Tusker bottle lead in Kigali

Gor Mahia FC head coach Charles Akonnor confront his player Aristide Patrick Essombe during their CAF Champions League Preliminary First-leg match against Pyramids FC at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday.[Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Kenya’s hopes of keeping two clubs alive in continental football have been left hanging by a thread, with Gor Mahia facing a tough comeback mission in Egypt and Tusker forced to fight for victory at home.

Gor Mahia suffered the heavier blow after going down 2-0 to Egyptian champions Pyramids FC in the first leg of their CAF Champions League first preliminary round tie at the Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday.

Tusker, meanwhile, surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Sudanese side Al-Ahli Madani in the CAF Confederation Cup first leg played in Rwanda.

Both Kenyan sides now face crucial return matches next weekend, knowing that anything less than a strong response could bring their continental campaigns to an early end.

For Gor Mahia, the task is particularly difficult. They must score at least twice in Cairo without conceding to give themselves a chance of turning around the tie against a Pyramids side that showed its experience in Nairobi.

Walid El Karti and Mahmoud Saber struck in the first half as Pyramids took control of the match. The Egyptian champions then used their experience to protect their advantage and leave Gor Mahia with a mountain to climb in the return leg.

Gor coach Charles Akonnor, however, has refused to give up.

The Ghanaian believes his team can still produce a strong performance in Cairo if his players follow their plan and make better decisions at important moments.

"We have to accept it in good faith, go into the next game and believe that if we do the right things at the right moment, there's always a chance for us,” Akonnor said.

The coach admitted that the lack of competitive matches hurt Gor Mahia. While Pyramids had already played four league matches, the Kenyan champions are yet to play an official league fixture this season.

Akonnor said he would have preferred Gor to have played three or four matches before facing the Egyptian side but insisted the situation should not be used as an excuse.

"It just gives you team spirit and momentum, and we haven't had that. And the best team were smart, not because they played so much better, but because they were smarter than us,” he said.

Gor will now need to find a way to score early in Cairo while keeping Pyramids from finding the net.

Tusker's situation is less desperate but equally delicate after they let a comfortable lead slip against Al-Ahli Madani.

Victor Mbaoma scored twice to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead at half time, putting them in a strong position to return home with an advantage.

But the Sudanese side fought back after the break, with Al-Samani Al-Sawi scoring twice to level the match and deny Tusker a valuable first-leg victory.

Tusker are returning to continental football after a four-year absence and had hoped to mark their comeback with a strong result. Instead, they must now win at home to move into the second preliminary round of the Confederation Cup.

Al-Ahli Madani, appearing in the competition for only the second time, will travel to Kenya knowing that another draw could keep their hopes alive.