Its not over yet, unbowed Kerr tells Esperance

Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions Gor Mahia can outshine Tunisian giants Esperance in CAF Champions League second leg clash, head coach Dylan Kerr has charged.

The match is nine days away in Tunis, Tunisia, after the goalless draw registered in Machakos on Wednesday at the Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos, which Kerr termed as unlucky result.

Despite Esperance’s dreaded history of ruthlessly punishing visiting opponents, Kerr underscores the first leg performance leaves no illusion his charges can go beyond the obvious success, by edging the 2011 Champions League winners to the group stage.

In 2014, Gor was hammered 5-0 away in Tunis by the same opponents in their return match.This was after falling 3-2 in the first leg at home, bowing out of the biggest CAF  inter-club competition on an embarrassing 8-2 aggregate.

“I’m happy with the performance; missing narrowly two clear-cut chances, hitting the post and the goalkeeper (Esperance’s) pulling brilliant saves showed our character. We need to be positive that we can make it. We have done everything here and the next thing is to show Africa we can go further, we can shock them in Tunisia,” a confident Kerr said.

Gor had a tantalising first stanza which Esperance registered no shot on target, Kerr strategy of double work rate per player from the normal and deliberate zeal to quick recovery whenever they lost the ball worked effectively.

However, Kerr lamented his team was not offered the basics of preparing for such a huge clash, calling for better preparations in the next one week.

“We arrived late at night in Machakos from Nairobi on the eve of the match, crazy traffic on the way. We took supper at 1:00am , and our opponents were here (in Machakos) since Monday.

“Yes, there is the financial problem and we understand, but still it affects players. Our congested KPL fixtures still affected us, including losing Wellington Ochieng to injury. They (Esperance) had only two matches to play in 10 days while we played four…” Kerr, unimpressed with the developments in the run-up to the fixture, said.

Ochieng was injured during their KPL clash with Bandari on Saturday, in the backdrop of Kerr’s rejected request to league organisers to have their league fixtures adjusted to aid their continental cause.

Curious fans have questioned why it was difficult to have the local fixtures adjusted, considering the magnitude of Champions League competition and Gor’s Chairman Ambrose Rachier at KPL.

Rachier is the KPL Chairman too, and his influence at the league running body has previously broken big barriers.

With the discussion extending to various social media platforms, Kerr posted on his Twitter account telling off naysayers it was not over until it was done.

“Do you see the effort and work rate we do in games? Do you think the players are Marathon runners? They were amazing today….always negatives in what was an unlucky draw,” posted Kerr, further noting he cares not about the 2014 history.

Gor will face Esperance at the 60,000-seater Rades Stadium in Tunis on March 17, needing at least a 1-1 draw to advance for the lucrative Group Stage.