Gor Mahia stand-coach Sammy Omollo has admitted he is excited to have striker Benson Omalla available for their Caf Champions League match against APR of Rwanda on Saturday.
The Kenyan champions will face the Rwandese side in the return leg seeking to overturn a 2-1 defeat suffered in the first leg played in Nyamirambo Stadium last weekend.
While in Rwanda, Gor Mahia missed the services of Omalla, who was signed this season from Western Stima, as the young player was with the Kenya U20 team at the Cecafa tournament in Arusha, Tanzania, where Kenya finished third.
Omalla returned to training on Thursday and his presence has left stand-in coach Omollo excited since he feels the player will solve their striking problems against the army side.
“I think Benson [Omalla] coming in will give us a lot of options especially in the attacking area because he is a very good player, a very good finisher and that is one player we missed when we played in Rwanda,” Omollo told reporters at Nyayo Stadium.
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“So I have a strong belief that the chances that will come tomorrow [Saturday], the boy [Omalla] is going to use them, so we are really relying on him for the goals and I know he will deliver, he will give us what we missed in Kigali.”
On the team’s preparations, Omollo said: “I think preparations was very important because when we went to Rwanda, we did not have enough preparations but since we came back [from Rwanda], we have been together, we have worked so much then, of course, we have been working on our weak and strong points and we know where to hurt them.”
Omollo, who will be standing in for suspended Brazilian Roberto Oliveira Goncalves, has also confirmed keeper Boniface Oluoch is a doubt to play in the fixture as he has been down with malaria.
“The only setback we have is the absence of keeper Boniface Oluoch, he has been down with malaria and I don’t know if he is going to make it, but if he does not make it then Gad Mathews, will start, he has really trained well this week, and I believe he is a good cover for Oluoch," he added.
On the absence of fans owing to the Covid-19 restrictions by the Ministry of Health, Omollo said: “I just wish the Green Army was with us but unfortunately it will not be the case, we really needed that 12th man but we will try and play our level best, we try and make our fans proud and make the country proud, we will work hard and work smart.”
Having seen how the Rwandan side play in the first leg, Omollo has an idea what to expect from APR in the return fixture.
“We worked on a team that is sitting back and defending deep and then they come with counters, so we are taking care of that, it only that we have to win the ball as quickly as we lose possession, if we do that, then they cannot beat us on the counter, we have to be aware what is happening around and give more than 100 percent," he concluded.
“We have also worked hard on our endurance, if you look in Kigali, we had a very good first half and especially after they scored the first goal and towards the 75th minute, the energy went down, and all this was because of the preparations [we had from Nairobi], and I can tell you we have worked on the energy and you will see a very different team on Saturday.”
Midfielder Kenneth Muguna scored Gor Mahia’s away goal in Kigali.
