This archive report was first published on 28 October 2019.
On October 27, 2019, Gor Mahia narrowly escaped defeat at the hands of DC Motema Pembe in their first leg clash at MISC Kasarani. The match ended 1-1, with Gor Mahia's Tanzanian import David Mapigano playing a crucial role in thwarting Motema's onslaughts.
Despite being down to 10 men after Charles Momanyi's red card, Gor Mahia's coach Steve Polack remains optimistic about their chances of qualifying for the group stage. 'We have to find a goal away. This (Motema) is a good team and playing them with a man down was not easy. We have a chance away if we prepare well. It would have been harder had we lost,' Polack said.
Motema's coach Mwinyi Hazera, on the other hand, expressed disappointment with his team's performance, stating that they lacked concentration and must work on their focus in the return match.
The funding crisis facing Gor Mahia remains a major challenge in their preparation for the match, with the team struggling to ease their trips due to lack of funds. In contrast, Motema had the luxury of camping in Rwanda for days before coming to Nairobi, a difference in financial muscle clearly manifesting in the two teams' rehearsals.
