Gor Mahia fall to experienced Esperance

By Francis Ochieng Abuto,

Gor Mahia fought gallently and relentlessly but at the end fell in the hands of a more experienced Esperance losing 2-3 in a pulsating Caf Champions League match played at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi.

Gor Mahia were gifted with an early penalty when Kevin Omondi was brought down in the box by towering defender Chamebine Dhaouadi forcing referee Bouchald Ahrach from Morrocco to point to the penalty .Dan Sserunkuma calmly slotted the ball past a hapless Ben Cherifa in Esperance goal to give Kogalo the lead.

The goal seemed to spar on Esperance who rallied their attackers and Ahned Akaichi drew level in the 28th minute collecting the ball before firing in from an acute angle to beat keeper Jerim Onyango from close range.

Both sides went to the break on level terms but upon resumption Esperance came back guns blazing and in the 63rd minute Cameroonian import Yannick Ndjeng capitalised from a defensive blunder to tap home the second goal into an empty net after keeper Jerim Onyango has been drawn out of his line trying to make a save.

The goal did not dampen the spirit of Kogalo who pulled themselves together and in the 78th minute youngster Haron Shakava rose high to head in the equalizer from a sublime Joseph Wanyonyi corner as Gor Mahia drew level at 2-2.

However inexperience caused Kogalo in the 88th minute after yet another defensive mix up allowed substitute Haithen Jouiwi to put the icing on the cake after his intial shot hit the woodwork falling on the path of Khaled Nouvelhi who calmly passed the ball back to Jouiwi who wasted no time blasting it home for their third goal.

The win for Esperance put Gor Mahia in a precarious position needing to beat their opponents 2-0 away in Tunis and to keep a clean sheet a task described as hurculean by their coach Bobby Williamson.