CR Belouizdad 6-0 Gor Mahia: K’Ogalo routed in Algeria

CR Belouizdad 6-0 Gor Mahia: K’Ogalo routed in Algeria

Gor Mahia‘s chances of making it to the group stages of the Caf Champions League are as good as over after suffering a heavy 6-0 defeat against CR Belouizdad in the first leg of the second preliminary round game played at the Stade du 5 Juillet 1962 on Saturday night.

The Great Chabab scored their goals through Amir Sayoud, who scored a hat-trick, Hamza Bellahouel, Larbi Tabti, and Maecky Ngombo during a thoroughly one-sided display.

K’Ogalo came into the match without the services of their influential captain Kenneth Muguna, midfielder Bernard Ondiek and Nicholas Kipkirui. The first two were nursing injuries while the former Zoo FC man had family issues. 

It took the hosts just seven minutes to get the ball in the back of the net. Geoffrey Ochieng’ conceded a free kick in a good area, giving the Algerians a chance to bring the ball into the danger zone.

Poor positioning by goalkeeper Gad Mathews allowed Sayoud to break the deadlock.

The hosts looked hungry and in search of more goals, while K’Ogalo looked like a lower division team playing against the best in the continent.

In the 12th minute, the Kenyan champions were beaten in a swift counter-attack. The ball was passed to Marcellin Koukpo who squared the ball to the advancing Bellahouel, who duly tapped the ball home beyond Mathews.

It was becoming worse for the East Africans, and in the 18th minute, Joachim Oluoch conceded a penalty after bringing down an opponent in the danger zone. Sayoud rose for the occasion, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to complete his brace.

The North Africans exploited K’Ogalo’s full-backs relentlessly, although while the likes of Philemon Otieno, Michael Apudo and Oluoch appeared out of their depth, Charles Momanyi put in a strong shift at the back, ensuring the visitors didn’t lose by a greater margin.

Apudo was at fault for the fourth goal scored in the 43rd minute. He tried to be too clever with the ball in the danger zone as he attempted to dribble past the CR Belouizdad players.

He was eventually dispossessed and after a scramble in the danger zone, the ball eventually fell to Tabti who finished emphatically.

K’Ogalo must have celebrated in silence when the half-time whistle came to their rescue, and only managed their first shot on target in the 52nd minute when Jules Ulimwengu’s header was claimed by the hosts’ goalkeeper.

A minute later, the Great Chabab scored their fifth when K’Ogalo failed to track a great run by Sayoud, who initiated a move and went on to finish it after some fine interplay to complete his hat-trick.

The North Africans scored their sixth goal in the 67th minute; Ngombo tapped into an empty net after substitute Kelvin Wesonga had missed out to his opposite number and Belouizdad had capitalised on the error.