Gor set to jet out for Hussein Dey clash in Algeria

Milton Ochieng

Gor Mahia FC will jet out of the country on Friday evening for Algiers ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup return leg clash with Hussein Dey in the Algerian capital on Sunday.

The Kenyan champions will thereafter fly to Cairo, Egypt on Monday six days in advance of their penultimate Group D match against Zamalek SC, according to the club’s first vice chairman John Pesa.

“A contingent of 20 players and officials will leave this evening and we are contemplating connecting to Cairo on Monday after our match. We hope to camp there until we’ve played Zamalek on March 10,” Pesa told Citizen Digital.

The official downplayed Hussein Dey’s vow to serve up a hostile reception for Gor when they arrive in Algiers after the Algerians claimed they had been mistreated last Sunday in Nairobi where they lost 2-0.

During a heated final quarter-hour, Hussein Dey were reduced to ten men after Chamseddine Harrag was sent off for a second bookable offence before they fell 2-0 down thanks to Francis Kahata and Jacques Tuyisenge’s goals in the 84th and 88th minutes.

Pesa said they are preparing their players psychologically to deal with stadium hostilities as they seek to take at least a point from the Algerians.

“We know they are not happy with the defeat and even told us at Kasarani that we will know their true selves when we get to Algeria”.

Among issues raised by Hussein were that they were given a ‘cricket pitch’ to train on, referring to the Utalii Grounds in Nairobi.

They also claimed Gor did not offer them a decent bus to pick them from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to their hotel saying this was against FIFA rules.

Gor lead the charts in Pool D with six points, two clear of Hussein Dey who lead Petro Atletico only on goal difference while Egyptian giants Zamalek round off the four-team group at the bottom.