Gor Mahia coach Leo Neiva reveals how he used a famous turnaround to inspire Gor Mahia’s victory over El Merreikh in the CAF Champions League qualifier.
Neiva explained how his charges used Manchester City’s dramatic 4-1 win over Ipswich in a Premier League clash last weekend as a blueprint to batter El Merreikh Beintu 5-1 in the first preliminary qualifier for the 2024/2025 CAF Champions League group stage last Sunday.
The win, secured on Sunday at home, overturned a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Juba and set up a daunting clash against African giants Al Ahly in September.
K’Ogalo’s victory was powered by goals from Christopher Ochieng’, Alpha Ochieng’, Alphonce Omija, and Rooney Onyango, who netted twice to lead the charge after Gor Mahia initially fell behind. This 5-2 aggregate triumph sets up a formidable clash with Egypt’s Al Ahly in the second qualifying round.
Neiva explained that the team took inspiration from Manchester City’s dramatic 4-1 comeback win over Ipswich in the Premier League, where Erling Haaland’s hat-trick spurred the comeback after City went down early.
“They scored first, and we put ourselves under pressure. It became dangerous for us, but I spoke to them about what Manchester City did to Ipswich after going an early goal down,” Neiva revealed post-match.
Neiva praised his players for their resilience, stating, “They scored the first, but City came back. Likewise, my players showed they have the mental capacity to come back. That is why I am very satisfied that they came back because if they [El Merreikh] had scored the second goal, it would have been over for us.”
Reflecting on the qualities his team displayed, Neiva emphasized, “Energy, effort, purpose, commitment—this is Gor Mahia. They showed they played for Gor Mahia, a top club in East Africa.
“That’s why we insist on the mental aspect, and we are very satisfied with the game today. They followed instructions, and we are very happy to qualify. It is an amazing opportunity for us to play the next round against Al Ahly.”
Neiva also dismissed El Merreikh Beintu’s time-wasting tactics, which were aimed at preserving their first-leg advantage.
“They tried time wasting, but you know, it is a mental game. Football is a mental game. He tried to do his best to disturb my mind, but I kept calm. Maybe next time, he will teach me,” Neiva commented wryly.
Acknowledging that the win covered up some mistakes, Neiva cautioned that there is still much work to be done. “A win can cover mistakes, and we still have a lot of work to do. We should not stop; we should increase a lot. We managed the game well, but the truth is, in the last 15 minutes, they controlled the game better. We took advantage of transitional situations to kill the game.”