Gor Mahia coach Charles Akonnor says the CECAFA Kagame Cup has given him valuable insight into his revamped squad as he steps up preparations for a demanding new season.
The Kenyan champions returned to Nairobi on Saturday after their regional campaign ended in disappointment, losing 2-1 to hosts Rayon Sports in extra time in Friday’s final at Amahoro Stadium.
Despite missing out on the trophy, Akonnor believes the five-match campaign was crucial in helping him assess his recruits, test different combinations and identify areas that still require improvement.
“I am very delighted that the CECAFA Kagame Cup comes at such a time because it will give the team good preparations ahead of the new season,” Akonnor said before the tournament.
The Ghanaian coach travelled to Kigali with a large squad following a major recruitment drive and used the competition to give his new players valuable playing time.
“Of course, we gave some of the new players a chance because there were many matches ahead of us,” he said. “Before we left Rwanda, everyone got a fair chance. It was important for the technical bench to know them well.”
Akonnor’s approach was evident throughout the tournament as he rotated his players and experimented with formations while balancing the need for results with the bigger task of building a competitive squad.
Gor undoubtedly opened their campaign, crushing APR 5-0, with Michael Kibwage, Patrick Essombe, Paul Okoth Odhiambo, Lesley Otieno and Ebenezer Assifuah-Inkoom finding the net.
The victory came after Gor had lost a friendly to Rayon Sports, with Akonnor identifying individual defensive mistakes as an area that needed immediate correction. “What happened against Rayon was individual mistakes that we made defensively,” he said.
“We are aware of that, we’ve been able to talk about it, and our video analyst has gone through it with the players, telling them exactly what we did wrong.”
Gor went on to reach the final before Rayon struck in extra time to deny them a fourth Kagame Cup title. Akonnor now has little time to rest, with Gor’s CAF Champions League campaign looming.
The champions have been drawn against Egyptian giants Pyramids FC in the first preliminary round, with the first leg scheduled for Nairobi between September 4 and 6 and the return in Egypt a week later.
Before then, Gor will face newly promoted Migori Youth in the inaugural SportPesa Green Legacy Cup at Nyayo National Stadium on August 16. Akonnor insists the encouraging displays from his recruits are only the start of the rebuilding process.
“The new players, who were given a chance, showed great attitude; we are very satisfied, very happy with their performance, but that is not all,” he said.
“It is just the second week of the pre-season, and we believe that if we continue to train very well and give them the understanding of how they have to perform, process things on the field of play, we would be better.”
