NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 17 – Kenyan champions Gor Mahia have been eliminated from the CECAFA Kagame Cup after losing 2-1 to Zambia’s Green Eagles in the quarter finals played at the Stade Nyamirambo in Kigali, Rwanda on Wednesday.
Shadreck Mulungwe scored the winner in the second half as Eagles completed their comeback having gone down to a second minute Nicholas Kipkurui goal.
Kipkurui pounced on a defensive mess to give K’Ogalo an early lead to face the keeper one on one and chip it over.
But it took Eagles just six minutes to get their feet back into the game when Tapson Kaseba pounced on a loose ball in the box to beat goalkeeper Boniface Oluoch with a powerful low drive.
Gor tried to take some control back in the game with the tempo rising and came close in the 22nd minute but Samuel Onyango failed to land in a quality delivery off a freekick.
K”ogalo had another chance when they turned over defense into attack quickly at the stroke of halftime when Charles Momanyi cleared off a dangerous cross, but a galloping Wellington Ochieng put a bit too much strength on his final cross destined for Boniface Omondi.
In the second half, Gor came back with a similar tact of getting back up early and in the 50th minute they had a chance through dangerman Kipkurui but his shot flew straight into the keeper’s arms.
They had another opportunity off a set piece when Kenneth Muguna delivered an inswinging freekick from the right, but Wellington’s effort with an header didn’t trouble the keeper as it sailed wide.
For their misses, Gor were punished when Mulungwe went past the defense to score what would turn out to be the winner in the 68th minute, barely eight minutes after coming on.
With a goal needed to perhaps push the game to penalties, Gor Mahia tactician Hassan Oktay brought in Tobias Otieno for Lawrence Juma, but that did little to change the scoreline.