Akonnor Refuses to Wave White Flag in Pyramids climb

Gor Mahia coach Charles Akonnor has vowed to keep fighting after his side suffered a bruising 2-0 defeat to Egyptian giants Pyramids FC in the first leg of their CAF Champions League tie at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday.

Despite the scoreline, the Ghanaian tactician was quick to put the result into perspective, pointing to the vast experience gap between the two sides. “They were experienced. They have a lot of national players in their team. They’ve played in their league. They’ve played four matches. They’ve not lost anything. So they are a good side, and we have to accept it in good faith, go into the next game and believe that if we do the right things at the right moment, there’s always a chance for us,” Akonnor said.

Eyes on Cairo

Attention now turns to the return leg on September 13 at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo, where K’Ogalo will need something special to keep their continental dream alive. Rather than dwell on the home defeat, Akonnor urged Green Army faithful to stay firmly behind the team as they prepare for the daunting trip to Egypt.

“Today, we’ve shown a good sign. I’m very, very happy about it. Especially in the second half we played. And so we are not too worried. It’s the momentum. It’s the idea of going forward, pushing forward. These boys need to be encouraged. Even if things go bad, we need to encourage them. We need to give them the self-belief, and we’ll see the way forward,” he added.

Akonnor’s message is clear — belief over despair. With a mountain to climb in Cairo, Gor Mahia will need every ounce of that self-belief, and every bit of backing from their fans, if they’re to pull off a continental upset against one of Egypt’s giants.

The Green Army faithful will be hoping their boys can channel that second-half spirit into a famous result in the Egyptian capital.