NAIROBI, Kenya, June 3 – Gor Mahia head coach Bobby Williamson, says it will not be easy to overturn a 1-0 deficit when they welcome defending champions Tusker FC for the return leg of their KPL Top 8 semi-final at Nairobi’s City Stadium on Wednesday.
The Scotsman, who missed the first leg in Meru after he was bereaved, believes Brewers will enter the clash with a defensive mind.
“It’s a football match and we will approach it the same way as every match. We want to do well for our fans and progress to the final but we expect a tough encounter since we are a goal down and Tusker are very good defensively.
“We must get an early goal but when it comes at the last minute it will be good as long as we keep it alive. Fans are very vocal and demanding we urge them to continue with the support since they will encourage us to get the goals we need,” Williamson told Capital Sport after conducting Tuesday’s training.
In the first leg, Francis Kimanzi charges outplayed K’Ogalo with midfielder Kevin Kimani, Khalid Aucho and forward Clifford Alwanga giving keeper and captain Jerim Onyango a hard time.
But according to Kimanzi, the battle is not yet over since it’s a knock out competition and anything can happen.
“It’s still a hard fight since it’s a knockout, Gor needs a goal to equalize and that will make it tight,” the former Harambee Stars tactician stated.
The Brewers will be looking for a draw to book a place in the final and repeat last season’s outcome when they eliminated K’Ogalo at the same stage 1-0 on aggregate.
Should the sides be level on aggregate, penalties will be used to get a winner.
Defender Solomon Nasio and winger Innocent Mutiso are sidelined with injuries for Gor but the return of Onyango, dependable defender David ‘Calabar’ Owino and left back Musa Mohammed in training after national team commitments is a major boost.
Tusker will enter the match fresh from eliminating Western Stima 3-2 in the GOtv Shield second round over the weekend unlike Gor who have not played since the May 25 first leg clash.
Kimanzi’s camp has been lifted by the return of key defenders, stopper Jockins Atudo and left back Aboud Omar who travelled with Stars for the return leg of 2015 Afcon preliminary qualifier against Comoros.
Their season head to head favours Tusker who have beaten and drawn with Gor thus far.
Its yet to be seen if the K’Ogalo will overturn the deficit as they seek to reclaim the trophy they last won two years ago.
