CECAFA Kagame Cup: Arrows give Neiva a rude welcome at Gor Mahia

Gor Mahia players during their FKF PL match against AFC Leopards at Nyayo Stadium on April 21. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Record Kenyan champions Gor Mahia had a rough start at the 2024 Cecafa Kagame Cup after falling 1-0 to Red Arrows at Azam Chamazi Sports Complex in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on Wednesday night.

James Chamanga’s 74th minute tap-in is all that the guest side and Zambia Premier League champions needed to beat their Group B rivals. 

The loss left new head coach Leonardo Neiva scratching his head. It was a real baptism test for the Brazilian tactician who is looking to achieve more honours with the 21 times Kenyan champions.

“We are going back to the drawing board; we are going to plot on how to nail victory against ASAS Djibouti Telecom FC on Sunday. This means we have to be perfect physically and tactically,” Neiva said after the match.

“Despite the loss, I’m happy with my boys, the squad has character, behavior and attitude. The players are real fighters, they are capable of winning this tournament.

“We only need to rope in short passes and increase our movements and concentration on the pitch without the ball in order to be better in our next assignments,” he explained.

Neiva explained his squad is in the process of gelling as he has penned new signings including Samuel Kapen, Chris Pius Akena, and Gedeon Bendeka.

“Once we become perfect and united, other sides will feel the wrath of our weight in this tournament,” he stated.

While commenting on their Zambian rivals Red Arrows, Neiva said: “It was a tough game for us, the opponents controlled the match in the first half, especially in the opening 25 minutes. After that we were able to fix some issues and the game got balanced resulting in a draw at the breather. I think they played better than us in the first half.”