A first half brace from Rwandese Jacques Tuyisenge and a goal a piece from Nicholas Kipkirui and Dennis Oliech helped Gor Mahia down visiting Zamalek of Egypt 4-2 in a six-goal thriller Caf Confederation Cup Group D opening match at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Sunday.
Ibrahim Hassan shot the White Knights ahead in the seventh minute but Tuyisenge equalized after 25 minutes before claiming a brace on 38 minutes. Hassan also recorded his name on the score sheet for the second time in 43rd minute, the first half ending 2-2.
Kipkirui scored the third on his continental debut in the 51st minute by heading home Tuyisenge’s cross from the right flank.
The former Zoo Kericho man would later limp off with an injury as another debutant Oliech replaced him on 67th minute mark. Oliech got himself on the scoresheet in the dying minutes of the entertaining encounter.
Oliech follows in the footsteps of his late brother Steve Okumu whose lone goal handed Gor a 1-0 victory against Zamalek the last time the two sides faced off here in 1998.
Mozambican Celso Armindo referee let the two sides know who is in charge early on when he brandished yellow cards to Zamalek’s Tarek Elsaid and Nicholas Kipkirui after the pair had been involved in a ugly challenge.
Zamalek went ahead on the seventh minute through Hassan whose feeble left foot shot sailed into the far post.
Goal update | 90’ Oliech rounds keeper and sends a low shot to make it 4-2
Gor Mahia 4-2 Zamalek #TotalCAFCC #Sirkal
— GOR MAHIA FC (@OfficialGMFC) February 3, 2019
Gor had failed to clear Mahmoud Abdelmonem’s corner kick that came after Boniface Oluoch had carelessly gifted the Egyptians a corner after he failed to deal with a harmless Philemon Otieno’s back pass.
In 19th minute, Boniface Omondi skewed wide Francis Kahata’s weighted cross from the left flank as Gor pushed for the leveler that came six minutes later through arguably man of the match Tuyisenge.
Kipkirui’s header from a Francis Kahata curled cross fell into the path of the Rwandese import who capitalized on a shaky Zamalek defence to drill home.
Tuyisenge sent thousands of K’Ogalo fans in the stands – among them Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga into wild jubilation with the second goal.
A silky link up play between Kahata and Omondi teed up Tuyisenge who headed home Gor’s second before the White Knights equalized two minutes before the break.
The assassin Ibrahim tore through Gor defence to slam home the equalizer much to the chagrin of Gor fans who felt Oluoch should have done better to deal with the feeble shot.