Kagere says Gor ready for any team at CAF Cup

Gor Mahia FC striker Meddie Kagere says they are ready to face any team in the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup.

The 16-time Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions made history by becoming the first Kenyan team to reach the group stages of continental football in the new era of CAF club games.

Despite losing 2-1 to SuperSport United in the return leg of the play-off round in Pretoria on Wednesday night, the Kenyan champions advanced on the away goals rule after the tie ended 2-2 on aggregate.

“I don’t prefer any team we have to be ready for any team. There is no small team that qualified for the group stages every team is tough so we have to prepare adequately for the next stage,” Kagere said

The draw for the group stages will be done on Saturday in Cairo, Egypt and Kagere believes Gor have the quality to face any opposition in the competition.

“I have won many leagues but this confederation cup is a special title that I want to win. Its a competition guarantees you exposure to the world so we have to put in a lot of efforts to make sure that we go as far as possible,” he underscored.

The Ugandan-born Rwandese said he hopes the drama that unfolded ahead of the second leg where two of their key players were denied visas, another suspended and another staging a go-slow will be avoided in future.

“The government should work alongside the clubs management to the players secure the required documents. By doing so it helps the players to focus more on the game, we are hoping that this will not happen in the group stages of the competition.”

Gor are currently in second place in the KPL, a point adrift of leaders Mathare United FC, with three games in hand.

The record champions were eliminated from the CAF Champions League by Esperance de Tunis who won 1-0 on aggregate, with the loss relegating Gor to the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup play-off where they were pitted against SuperSport United FC.

Qualified teams

AS Vita (DR Congo), USM Alger (Algeria), El Masry (Egypt), Raja Club Athletic (Morocco), CARA (Congo), El Hilal (Sudan), Gor Mahia (Kenya), UD Songo (Mozambique), Enyimba (Nigeria), Aduana (Ghana), Young Africans (Tanzania), RS Berkane (Morocco), Williamsville (cote d’Ivoire), Djoliba (Mali), Rayon Sports (Rwanda)