Rayon fight back to hold Gor in CECAFA opener

Isaac Swila in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Gor Mahia FC squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Rayon Sports in their CECAFA Kagame Cup opener at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The Kenyan champions had taken a healthy 2-0 advantage into the break thanks to goals from Jacques Tuyisenge and Humphrey Mieno before Ismail Diarra sparked the turnaround with a 64th minute penalty.

Mieno was at fault for conceding the penalty, punished for handling the ball in his own box and Diarra duly dispatched it to cut his side’s deficit in half. Kwizera Pierrot then turned the knife on Gor with a late equalizer.

Tuyisenge had the simplest of tasks tapping in in the 35th minute, a cross from the box by Ivorian Ephrem Guikan.

Four minutes to the interval, Mieno wrote his name on the scoresheet, also via a tap in.

Left-back Godfrey Walusimbi was involved in the build-up with his fierce drive blocked by the Rayon defence and Guikan was at hand to make another effort which richoted on Mieno’s path to sweep home the second.

Mieno however became a villain when he handled in the box in the 62nd minute allowing Diarra to drill home, sending custodian Boniface Oluoch the wrong way.

Caught napping

The match, a see-saw affair saw Gor suffer early nerves when striker Diarra had an opportunity to punish the Kenyan representatives in the 13th minute when he broke clear but fired off target with only Boniface Oluoch to beat in goal.

Two minutes later Gor were caught napping yet again this time Oluoch stretching to the right to claw away a Djamel Manishimwe goal bound drive.

Gor however composed themselves launching an attack of their own with Innocent Wafula sending a delivery in the box but Guikan failed to make the most of the chance.

Gor coach Dylan Kerr was however forced into an early substitution shortly after the break bringing in Kevin “Ade” Omondi after Guikan went down limping while Rayon Sports coach Oliveira Goncalves brought in Bimenyimana Caleb for Yassin Mugume in the 57th minute.

Francis Kahata who is a target of Tanzanian giants Simba also made way for Boniface Omondi with 13minutes left on the clock and the Kenyan champions upped the antennae.

Omondi and “Blackberry” linked up neatly with the latter’s trigger blocked amidst claims for a penalty by Gor players in the 68th minute but centre referee Ali Nassoro from Zanzibar waved play on.

Gor will now shift their attention on Lydia Ludic of Burundi in their second group on Tuesday at the Chamazi Stadium.