Al Ahly will begin their defence of the CAF Champions League title in Kenya, as they face Gor Mahia in the second qualifying round.
The first leg of the clash between the East African hosts and the Red Eagles will be played in Nairobi on the weekend of 13-15 September, with the return game in Cairo following a week later.
The Kenyan side booked their place in the round of 32 after defeating South Sudan’s Al Merrikh 5-2 on aggregate in the first qualifying round.
Gor Mahia lost the first leg 1-0 in Juba and they were under massive pressure after conceding a goal in the opening minutes of the second leg. However, they responded with five goals to win the tie and reach the first round of the competition for the first time since 2020.
We are very satisfied with the result but we still have a lot of work to do. We conceded a goal early in the game but the players showed they are able to come back in the game,” Leo Neiva, Gor Mahia manager, stated after the game.
Gor Mahia are expecting a tough clash against the Cairo giants, who have a strong record when it comes to the first round of the CAF Champions League, having managed to avoid a first round elimination since 2004.
Neiva added, “We will face the giants of Africa. Al Ahly is the Real Madrid of Africa, so we should prepare to face them. Everyone in the world knows they are the favourites but in football the game is decided on the ground.
The two teams will face off in an official match for the first time in their history.
