Caf Champions League: Gor Mahia vs APR to be staged behind closed doors

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has confirmed no fans will be allowed to attend the Caf Champions League match between Gor Mahia and APR.

The two Kenya and Rwanda sides will clash in the return leg of the competition at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday with K’Ogalo seeking to overturn a 2-1 defeat suffered in the first leg played in Kigali last Saturday.

The Kenyan champions managed to secure an away goal after they lost 2-1 in the first leg played at Nyamirambo Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda on Saturday.

Olivier Niyonzima had given the hosts an early lead in the ninth minute before Kenneth Muguna cancelled it out with a perfectly taken free kick in the 28th minute, only for defender Andrew Juma to score in his own net.

FKF CEO Barry Otieno has now confirmed to Goal due to the Covid-19 restrictions, fans will not be allowed to watch the match.

“We will have no fans attending the match between Gor Mahia and APR, and it is all because we are adhering to the strict regulations put in place by the Ministry of Health to combat the spread of Covid-19,” Otieno told Goal on Tuesday.

Despite losing 2-1, Gor Mahia stand-in coach Sammy ‘Pamzo' Omollo is confident they will reverse the result and qualify to the next stage of the competition come Saturday.

“Despite the loss, the boys played well in that game, and they stuck to our game plan," Omollo told Goal on Monday. “A 2-1 [loss] is not a bad result for us; the important thing is that we scored the important away goal.

“The one goal we scored will be very crucial for us in the return leg because now we just need one goal, or even two if possible, to advance.”

On his part, APR coach Adil Errade Mohamed has cautioned his players not to underrate Gor Mahia as they did in the first leg contest.

“I am told that local media reported extensively about the financial difficulties that our opponents are going through and how it had affected their morale because some players had threatened not to play,” Mohamed is quoted by New Times.

“This might have made our players become a little bit complacent but I don’t want to see that attitude in the return leg, we must be very cautious against them and make sure we don’t crack.”

Gor Mahia have been in the competition in the last four seasons but have always found it hard to advance further and their last attempt, in 2019, was ended by Algeria’s USM Alger.

The Algerian outfit picked up two victories against K’Ogalo and the two defeats came at a time Gor Mahia were strained financially as they operated without a sponsor.

It is the same case with APR - they have dominated their game in Rwanda but it has not been the same case at continental level. They have never made it to the group stage of the Champions League either.