***UPDATE: Azam FC has beaten Gor Mahia FC to win 2015 CECAFA Kagame Cup.
Sunday August 2, 2015: Azam FC (Tanzania) Vs Gor Mahia (Kenya) – National Stadium, Dar es Salaam @ 3.45PM
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All roads lead to the National stadium, Dar es Salaam on Sunday when Kenya Premier League champions Gor Mahia face off with Tanzania giants Azam FC in the finals of the 2015 CECAFA Kagame Cup.
K’Ogalo as Gor Mahia are famously known around the region, will be seeking to end a 30 year wait for the regional championship whilst Azam are aiming at winning their first ever Kagame Cup title.
Without doubt, the two sides have been the best at the tournament and deserve to play in the finals with Gor Mahia the most prolific side with 13 goals so far while Azam are yet to concede since the tournament kicked off.
Gor Mahia have won all their games bar the 1-1 draw with Khartoum in the group stages while Azam needed just one penalty shootout against rivals and giants Yanga at the quarter final stage following a barren draw.
Speaking ahead of the game, Gor Mahia Coach Frank Nuttal whose target at first was to better last year’s performance in Kigali where the team failed to get the group stages said:
We are happy to be unbeaten up to this stage of course but the game against Azam presents another tough test for us. Now that we have reached the finals, we shall try to win it.
His counterpart Stewart Hall in a bid to get pressure off his team said;
Like I said before, no team in this competition is at advantage than Gor Mahia. They arrived at the tournament with 18 league games under their belt and their fitness levels are easy to observe. But again, we are in this competition to try and go as far as we can.
ROAD TO THE FINALS
Either side topped their groups with Azam finishing at the summit with group C with maximum points after wins over KCC FC (1-0), Malakia (2-0) and Adama City (5-0) while Gor Mahia stunned Yanga (2-1), KMKM (3-1), Khartoum (1-1) and Telecom (3-1) to top group A with ten points.
In the quarter finals, Gor Mahia edged South Sudan’s Malakia (2-1) while Azam needed a penalty shootout to show Yanga the exit following a barren draw in normal time. Hall’s charges won the shootout 5-3 to reach the last four.
At the semis, Gor Mahia came from a goal down to down fans favourite Khartoum 3-1 while Azam again beat KCC FC 1-0 to reach the stage.
GOR MAHIA TEAM NEWS:
Nuttal is sweating on the fitness of midfield kingpin Collins ‘Gattuso’ Okoth after he limped off in the 3-1 semi-final win over Khartoum.
In case he fails to recover in time for what is his side’s biggest game of the season so far, Eric Ochieng or Liberian Dirkir Glay is expected to fill the big shoes to play alongside Ugandan international Aucho Khalid.
Besides, there are no injury worries for Sirkal.
Gor Mahia Probable XI:
Boniface Oluoch (GK), Karim Nigiziyimana, Abouba Sibomana, Musa Muhammad (C), Haroun Shakava, Eric Ochieng, Aucho Khalid, Godfrey Walusimbi, Innocent Wafula, Meddie Kagere and Michael Olunga.
AZAM FC TEAM NEWS:
Hall will once again negotiate the finals minus influential attacking midfielder Salum ‘Sure Boy’ Abubaker who is ruled out of the tournament which leaves more duty to create goals to the youngster Farid Mussa Malik.
The Briton is expected to recall Shomari Kapombe and Himid Mao to the starting eleven in the slots of Erasto Nyoni and Mudathir Yahya Abbas respectively. Mao was an unused substitute in the 1-0 victory over KCC FC in the semis while Kapombe made a big difference when he came on.
Azam FC Probable XI: Aishi Salum Manula (GK), Aggrey Morris, Pascal Serge Wawa, Said Hussein Moradi, Shomari Kapombe, Farid Musa Malik Shah, Jean Baptiste Mugiraneza, Frank Raymond Domayo, Himid Mao, John Raphael Bocco (C) and Kipre Herman Tchetche.
FACTS:
- Azam will be playing in their second final in history while this will be Gor Mahia’s seventh. Azam lost 2-0 to Yanga in 2012 while Gor Mahia played in the finals in 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1984 and 1985 winning all but one in 1984.
- This will be Gor Mahia’s first final in 30 years after lifting the crown in 1985 when they beat rivals AFC Leopards 2-0 in Khartoum.
- Azam’s Jean Baptiste Mugiraneza will be playing in third consecutive finals. He lost with APR in 2013 to Vital O of Burundi and also against El Merriekh last year in Kigali. Can he be third time unlucky?
- Gor Mahia are unbeaten in 18 league games and 5 Kagame Cup games this season. Can they make it 24 competitive games unbeaten?
- Frank Nuttal’s assistant Bobby Ogolla was part of the 1985 winning side as a defender. Can win it as coach too?
- Only two Tanzanian clubs (Simba and Young) have managed to win the Kagame Cup in history. Can Azam become the third?
- The winner on the day will only take the trophy but prize money worth $ 30,000 while the runners up will walk away with $ 20,000.
PREDICTION:
As difficult to predict as final games and this is no different. Gor Mahia have been prolific in front goal scoring 13 goals in six games while Azam has the meanest defence conceding no goal so far.
Gor Mahia head into the game more confident than their opponents but the fact that they conceded in each of their games is a worrying factor given Azam have only failed to score in just one game. Another factor is that Azam will be home but that will matter less for K’Ogalo who beat Yanga with a full packed stadium on day one.
This may simply be Gor Mahia’s time and I see them edging Azam but only after 120 minutes.
Azam 1-2 Gor Mahia Whats your prediction?