Gor Fall To Controversial Loss At Hussein Dey: Confed Cup Pool D Flung Open

NAIROBI, Kenya- Gor Mahia FC surrendered command of Pool D of the 2018/19 CAF Confederations Cup in the most controversial of fashions when they went down 0-1 to NA Hussein Dey in on Sunday night in a result that threw the race to the quarterfinals of the second-tier continental competition wide open.

The Algerian scaled to the summit of the standings on seven points after an early Abderrahmane Yousfi gave them the maximum points in a match where the SportPesa Premier League (SPL) champions were cruelly denied a legitimate-looking second half equaliser from a Shafiq Batambuze header by the referee.

Gor, on six, are still not out of the running for the last eight in spite of slipping to their second successive reverse on their travels but the Kenyan heavyweights will return home dejected on the manner they failed to force a famous result in  North Africa for the first time since 1987.

That was then they held Tunisian titans, Esperance de Tunis to a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the now discontinued CAF Cup Winners Cup (Mandela Cup) final before the side entered history books when they restricted Esperance to a 1-1 stalemate in the return to become the first and to date, only Kenyan outfit to lift a continental title. 

Earlier in the evening, five-time African champions, Zamalek FC recorded their first victory of the group campaign by fashioning a hard-fought 1-0 victory courtesy of a Hamid Ahadad winner at Petro Atletico de Luanda to advance to five and leapfrog the Angolans who sunk to the basement with four.

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Fears the game could be cancelled over the ongoing political unrest in the Algerian capital, where thousands have taken to the streets to protest against ailing 81 year-old President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's plan to run for a fifth term failed to materialise, paving way for the Pool D rivals who are seeking to make the Confed Cup quarters for the first time in their histories to enter the battle stage.

Gor Cypriot-born Turkish head coach, Hassan Oktay, welcomed back record Kenya international goal scorer, Dennis Oliech, after the veteran forward returned to the side after missing the first encounter, an ill-tempered late 2-0 victory at the MISC Stadium, Kasarani over a dispute over pay.

Oliech nonetheless, started on the bench with in form Nicholas Kipkurui and top scorer, Jacques Tuyisenge who has scored twice in the Confed Cup group stages his second coming against this opposition in their first meeting, leading the attack.

A midfield three of Kenyan international, Francis Kahata who opened the scoring against Hussein Dey, Lawrence Juma and Kenneth Muguna were deployed behind the strikers with Ugandan Shafiq Batambuze and Philemon Otieno patrolling the left and right wing back positions.

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Skipper Harun Shakava and Charles Momanyi were preferred at centre half with no place for Joash Onyango in the Gor defence that was completed by Samuel Onyango. 

Both sides came to the contest with three players walking the yellow card tightrope apiece- Shakava, Batambuze and Onyango for the SPL titleholders as well as Mohammed Tougai, Abdelghani Khiat who was handed the armband for the day and Faouzi Yaya for Hussein Dey.

Wicked delivery

With their regular captain Edine Chems Harrag suspended after being sent off in their first meeting in Nairobi a week prior for two bookings, Hussein Dey head coach, Meziane Ighil, made three changes to his starting XI and they produced the desired effect as he saw his side race off the blocks, forcing the first corner in the opening minute of the encounter played at the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 stadium in Algiers.

Gor keeper, Fredrick Odhiambo had to be alert three minutes in to punch clear a wicked delivery to the visitors box before he dived low to his left to parry out the rebound for a corner that was fired over as Hussein Dey- who had promised 'hell' for the record 17-time Kenyan champions- put their guests to the sword from the opening whistle.

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The home side launched wave after wave of attacks and were not to be denied on 10' despite the heroic efforts of Odhiambo to keep the marauding Algerians at bay.

In reality, it was a poor goal to concede, coming when the ball was worked quickly from the right flank to the left and after pinging around the Gor box for what looked like an eternity, Yousfi eventually forced it in after the initial effort came off the base of the right post and in a flash the K'Ogalo keeper kept out the Hussein Dey forward brilliantly with a point blank save.

However, covering Gor defenders were all at sea and Yousfi could not miss when he was invited to have a second bite at the cherry, striking in the ball through a desperate last-ditch attempt by Shakava to keep it out, the referee deeming the ball had crossed the line.

Having put their noses in front, the Algerians eased off somewhat to allow Gor a period of possession and they were almost made to pay when the dangerous Tuyisenge found himself with space on the box but before he could pull the trigger from the right, the ball was hacked away for a fruitless corner in the 21st.

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Six minutes past the half-hour mark, Odhiambo was called upon to leap above the charging Hussein Dey attackers to snuff out the danger following a dangerous floated ball by the busy Elyes Yaiche who was having so much joy on the left flank.

The guest side and only Kenyan team to bag a continental crown when they won the 1987 CAF Cup Winners Cup (Mandela Cup), survived further damage and were still in the game when the whistle blew for the break with Hussein Dey a goal to the good.

Three minutes into the second half, Tuyisenge went down motioning to his groin after he became a victim of another meaty challenge and although Batambuze's delivery was cleared out by the first line of defense, Gor put together their best move of the match thus far when Kahata burst through and unloaded from the left but Kipkurui and Juma who were attacking the ball were denied by Gaya Merbah in the Hussein Dey goal.

On the other end, Momanyi made a well-timed tackle to avert a threatening raid Landry Tchatchet who had bought space on the left and scampered towards the box and was about to cut back to two unmarked teammates before the retreating defender hacked the ball out in a crunching challenge for a corner.

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Full-blooded contest

The resultant delivery caused panic in Gor's ranks, with the ball that was whipped in at pace and too close to Odhiambo's goal line just eluding Hamza Ouartani who had ghosted in unmarked on the far post much to the relief of the Kenyans.

It was becoming a full-blooded contest now and in the 56th, Hussein Dey were awarded the latest in a series of free-kicks from a promising position but Odhiambo was alert and came out of his line to claim the ball with confidence. 

That gave way to a pivotal moment that ultimately, could prove the difference between qualifying for the last eight or missing out when the ugly face of poor officiating in CAF fixtured reared its ugly head at Stade 5 Julliet.

Gor had the ball into the net in the 59th when Batambuze headed in from a Kahata corner but the effort was controversially chalked off for an apparent foul on Merbah, who in taking cue when he heard the referee's whistle, stayed down clutching his head.

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Television replays however, suggested there was no illegal contact on the custodian or any other Hussein Dey player in the lead up to the disallowed goal in what was a cruel decision on the SPL champions with the ref sticking to his guns, ignoring vehement protests from the visitors in what was a turning point in a crunch game where nerves were becoming increasingly frayed.

Right after the resumption of play, with Merbah not surprisingly fit to continue after the huge let off, the home side once exposed K'Ogalo on the right flank but Tchatchet could not keep his header down after being found at the centre free from any challenge.

Oualid Allati earned the first yellow on 64' for cynically hauling down the Gor number three, Onyango at the centre of the pitch and as the game entered its last nine minutes, Kahata who was growing in prominence, hared from the right and floated in a cross that was headed down by Tuyisenge but with his back in goal, Kikurui could only lay it to the advancing Muguna but his shot was blocked.

Oktay then brought on Oliech hoping he could weave some of the magic that completed an emphatic 4-2 win over Zamalek in their opener and his opposite number quickly responded by hauling off Cameroonian attacker Tchatchet to lock the barn door as sitting midfielder, Belkacem Brahimi raced on to see out the last five.

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Yaiche then escaped a probable sending off in the 86th when he speared through Onyango who was forced off from the field of play, with the agitated Oktay roving down the touchline as he summoned his captain Shakava to issue instructions in animated manner.

In the first minute of added time, Gor came close to nicking a late equaliser but a ferocious strike from Muguna was turned round the right post by Merbah with the resultant corner coming to nought.

That only three were signalled by the referee despite the lenghthy stoppage for the injured Onyango was yet another officiating howler with Gor departing the pitch after the final whistle to rancous cheering from the home supporters as well as a sense of huge injustice.

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Next for the SPL champions is a testing trip to Cairo to face Zamalek, who are still smarting from the hiding the received in Nairobi on March 10 before welcoming Petro at home on  March 17 in the sixth and final round action in Pool D that is poised on a knife-edge.

The race for top places that will earn a ticket to the quarterfinal knockout phase had now truly entered the famous former Manchester United FC legendary manager, Sir. Alex Ferguson's immortal phrase, 'squeaky bum time.'