Levin Odhiambo’s strike was not enough as Djibouti Telcom clawed back to force a 1-1 draw against Gor Mahia in their second clash of the 2024 CECAFA Kagame Cup at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Saturday evening.
In the 20th minute, Chris Akena found himself one-on-one against Telkom keeper Kwame Baah. Akena’s powerful shot forced Baah into making an acrobatic save, leaving the keeper injured but able to continue.
Gor Mahia started to find their groove, and another well-executed move resulted in Levin Odhiambo delivering a dangerous left-footed cross into the area. Baah scrambled to secure the ball to safety.
After a period where both sides shared possession, Rooney Onyango received a booking while trying to make a recovery run following an initial mistake. This gave Telcom a good chance to score from the resultant free kick, but they could not capitalize on the opportunity.
Gor Mahia’s persistent efforts finally paid off when Levin Odhiambo found the back of the net with a cleanly taken left-footed strike, sending the fans into a frenzy. However, their lead was short-lived as Djibouti equalized almost immediately after the restart through Hussein Simon, leaving the score level at halftime.
Gor Mahia boss Leo Neiva made strategic changes at the break, subbing off Chris Akena and Levin Odhiambo for Lawrence Juma and Samuel Kapen to alter the dynamics in search of a lead.
The second half continued in a similar fashion to the first, prompting Neiva to make additional substitutions. He introduced Boniface Omondi and Musa Masika for Earnest Wendo and Paul Ochuoga to inject more creativity and directness into the team.
These changes added more directness to Gor Mahia’s play, testing Baah several times. However, they were unable to convert their chances, with one notable attempt by Omondi in the 89th minute forcing Baah into another acrobatic save.
Despite their relentless efforts, Gor Mahia could not change the outcome of the game, and both sides settled for a 1-1 draw.
Gor Mahia have now collected one point and must beat Al Hilal in their final group stage clash to stand a chance of progressing to the next round. They currently sit third in Group B.
