Gor Mahia Secretary General Nic Arum has urged Kogalo faithfulls to remain patient with head coach Charles Akonnor despite the club’s disappointing early exit from the CAF Champions League.
K’Ogalo’s continental campaign came to an abrupt end after they were eliminated by Egyptian giants Pyramids FC in the first preliminary round, losing 7-1 on aggregate.
Gor Mahia suffered a 2-0 defeat in the first leg at the Nyayo National Stadium before Pyramids completed the job with a 5-1 victory in Cairo leaving the Sportpesa league champions out of the competition at the first hurdle.
The result has inevitably put Akonnor under scrutiny but Arum has moved to defend the Ghanaian tactician calling for patience as the coach continues to build his team.
The former Ghana international is not a new face at Gor Mahia. He has already overseen a successful domestic campaign guiding the club to a record-extending 22nd SportPesa League title a triumph that earned K’Ogalo their place in this season’s CAF Champions League.
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However, Arum believes the coach should not be judged solely on the disappointing continental campaign, particularly considering the limited competitive football Gor had played before facing Pyramids.
“We cannot blame the coach and judge him for our exit from the Champions League. He was not exposed to competitive matches before this campaign and that is something we have to consider,” Arum said.
Gor Mahia had also reached the final of the CECAFA Kagame Club Championship under Akonnor before their Champions League campaign.
The record Kenyan champions produced some eye-catching results during the regional tournament, including a 5-0 victory over APR FC and a 1-0 win against Garde Républicaine. They also eliminated Al Hilal on penalties in the semi-final before losing 2-1 to Rayon Sports in the final.
Arum believes that run should also form part of the assessment of Akonnor’s work rather than allowing the heavy defeat to Pyramids to define his tenure.
“Even in CECAFA, we cannot blame the coach. He was not subjected to competitive football before the tournament, but he still managed to take the team to the final. Let us give him time and see what will come out of it,” Arum stated.
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The Secretary General also acknowledged the unpredictable nature of football, insisting that Gor Mahia must learn from their Champions League disappointment rather than dwell on the result.
“In football, there are only three results – a win, a draw or a loss. We have to accept that and learn from what happened,” he added.
The focus will now shift to domestic competition, where Akonnor will have an opportunity to continue shaping the squad and establish the team he wants to compete with over the course of the season.
For Gor Mahia, the 7-1 aggregate defeat to Pyramids represents a significant setback in their continental ambitions but the club’s leadership appears unwilling to make a rushed judgement on Akonnor based on two matches.
Having already delivered the league title and taken the team to the CECAFA final the coach will now be expected to use the lessons from the Pyramids tie to improve Gor Mahia as they begin the next phase of their campaign.
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