Under flying missiles, an unfriendly atmosphere and unbecoming conduct by opponents, Kenya's Gor Mahia fought meticulously, were brave and composed but unfortunately bowed out of the CAF Champions League against Esperance de Tunis. Gor lost 0-1.
Joash Onyango and Harun Shakava's quick headers away from the area cooled matters when Esperance went all attacking from the whistle blow. Esperance protested in what they claimed a handball after Onyango seemed to have handled the ball while trying to clear a free kick delivered from the left flank. The referee heard none of it and yellow carded Franck Kom who was the ringleader in the protest.
Gor went down in the 20th minute when the midfield failed to foil a build up from the mid that led to Anis Badri firing past Boniface Oluoch. The goal seemed to have engineered a negative response from the hosts as they started going down easily under slight provocation. Jacques Tuyisenge went down after a heavy challenge from Sameh Derbali when they were going for a 50 - 50 ball. Onyango stood firm again to thwart an impending attack launched by the Tunisians from the left flank. He dispossessed Youssef Belaili and released Francis Kahata who was brought down as he tried to engineer a counter attack.
Oluoch had Gor Mahia fans worldwide clutching onto their hearts when he whisked the ball away in a very dangerous position. He was lucky to clear the ball to the relief of K'Ogalo faithfuls. Francis Kahata delivered a very sumptuous ball but there was no one was to convert it. Tuyisenge went down again after a body charge from an Esperance player but the referee did not consider it a bookable offense.
Flying Missiles
As the first half wore on, fans started throwing missiles that halted the game for a while, forcing Gor Mahia's technical team to seek refuge at the center of the pitch.
Offside
Esperance celebrations were cut short when the assistant referee ruled their second goal offside. A misunderstanding between Wesley Onguso and Joash on the left flank almost dealt KoGalo a fatal blow when they failed to close in on Badri who evaded them with ease and produced across that would have needed just a tap in to make the score 2-0. Kahata delivered again a wonderful free-kick into the area but no one in white and green was in prime position to slot home. His second attempt on goal was not fruitful too but yielded a throw-in, that did not trouble the home team much.
Frustrated Yahya
In the 67th minute, Shakava showed resilience to clear a low drive that surely would have counted as the second. Boniface Oluoch had left his line to attempt to clear a corner kick that evaded him. Gor Mahia resorted to using long balls trying to to find Tuyisenge up front with Kahata spinning the best of passes at the center of proceedings. The pressure applied by the KPL champs saw at one point Esperance head coach Khaled Ben Yahya enter the field in frustration. He was warned by the center ref from Botswana.
Four minutes of stoppage time were added but they were not enough to cover for the time wasted by Esperance. It was 1-0 at full time in favor of the Tunisians.
Esperance XI; Moez Ben Cherifia (GK), Houcine Rabii, Chamseddine Dhaouadi, Khalil Chammam, Sameh Derbali, Fousseny Coulibaly, Franck Kom, Mohamed Ali Moncer, Anice Badri, Youssef Belaili et Taha Yassine Khenissi.
Unused subs: Ali Jmel, Neskini Medanine, Anis Ben Hatira, Saad Bguir, Naher BenSchair, Bilel Nesrri,
Starting XI: 29. Boniface Oluoch, 21. Wesley Onguso (Humphrey Mieno), 15. Joachim Oluoch (6. Samuel Onyango), 12. Joash Onyango, 18. Harun Shakava, 20. Ernest Wendo, 8. Francis Kahata, 26. Philemon Otieno, 22. Meddie Kagere, 9. Jacques Tuyisenge, 25. George Odhiambo (Boniface Omondi).
Unused subs: 16. Shaban Odhoji, 27. Charles Momanyi, 24. Lawrence Juma, 17. Bernard Ondieki,
