By Kimathi Kamau
NAIROBI, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Kenyans hailed the progression of Gor Mahia FC to the CAF Confederations Cup group stages on Thursday, celebrating the club for defying all odds to eliminate South African side, SuperSport United.
Shortly before 10pm local time the record 16-time domestic league winners almost broke the Internet when the final whistle of their second leg play-off went in Pretoria to confirm their qualification.
Despite losing 2-1 at the Lucas Moripe Stadium, Gor advanced on the away goals rule with the tie ending 2-2 on aggregate. becoming the first Kenyan outfit since 1994 to qualify for the group stages of a CAF competition.
Without live broadcast in Kenya, social media provided the ideal platform as local fans went crazy online with tributes to Gor, flooding the Internet all night long and through Thursday.
The feat was even more remarkable considering the club departed Nairobi for the return clash on the eve of the game and visa hitches denied them the services of top scorer, Jacques Tuyisenge and Ivorian forward, Ephrem Guikan, who were refused travel documents to South Africa.
Cash-strapped Gor were forced to rely on the last minute donation of 30 air tickets and 10,000 U.S. dollars in cash from Nairobi Governor, Mike Sonko, to make the trip.
"I understand Gor are through to the group stages of the CAF Confederations Cup. Congratulations and I will continue to offer my support to the team until we win this cup," Sonko posted on Twitter moments after the final whistle.
Delighted Gor fans, famously known as the Green Army and other local football enthusiasts, posted congratulatory messages as they toasted an epic moment for the long suffering Kenyan football.
The last time Gor played South African opposition in a continental match was in 1993 when they eliminated Hellenic FC, another Pretoria based side, on away goals after 3-3 aggregate score to qualify for the defunct CAF Cup Quarter Finals.
It was a case of history repeating itself but in the intervening period, the domestic titans went through almost 20 years of turmoil before they recovered their groove after the turn of this decade to win four of the last five Kenyan Premier League titles.
On Wednesday, interim coach, Kaitano Tembo decided to give some of their key players a break but odd were still stuck against Gor which remain the only Kenyan outfit to win a CAF title when they lifted the 1987 Cup Winners Cup (Mandela Cup).
The Kenyan champions have had an event-filled continental campaign this season, exiting the top tier CAF Champions League at the first round after a bitterly contested 1-0 away loss to Tunisian giants, Esperance de Tunis after the home leg ended 0-0 on aggregate.
That relegated them to the Confed Cup play-off and without a title partner compounded by the visa hitches, their trip to Pretoria almost aborted but in the end, they held on to make the group phase and a guaranteed 270,000 U.S. dollars income.
With three fellow East African sides, Yanga SC (Tanzania), Rayon Sports (Rwanda) and Al Hilal (Sudan) also making the 16-team draw, Gor under the tutelage of British head coach, Dylan Kerr, also have the additional task of being regional flag bearers at the competition.
Their stunning progress ignited debate on the management of Kenyan clubs with Gor struggling to make ends meet despite their recent success on the domestic, regional and now, continental front.
"Gor fought against all odds especially financial setbacks, these guys didn't even have enough money for the flight to South Africa for the match. As I say we have talent in Kenya we just have the wrong people managing the talents," Bryan Kabugi remarked on Facebook.
Their culture of surviving on handouts from politicians and sponsorship monies was mocked by some while others called on the club to ride on their continental campaign to implement programs aimed at making the club financially self-sustaining.
"The way Gor is yapping all over the social media because of the 270,000 dollars, I have come to realize their main target was that money alone. It's like they are now satisfied, what they have forgotten is that group stages is just around and they should plan on how they will get to the finals so as to bring back their 80s glory," Weldon Kiptoo noted.
The critics though did not stop their diehard supporters from cheering their progress and goading eternal domestic rivals and 12-time league winners, AFC Leopards SC who were knocked out of the first round of the 2018 Confed Cup by FOSA Juniors of Madagascar.
"I will tell you this for free. Gor is not a village club. I was only three when they shook the foundations of African football by winning the Mandela Cup," Gabriel Oguda goaded in one of the dozens of social media posts Gor supporters fired towards their Leopards arch rivals.
"I'm turning 35 next month, and the only thing they (Leopards) have won since then are certain regional tin cups against teams that my grandmother's cat, Midusa, would out run with his eyes closed," Oguda added.
As the debate rages on, what is not in doubt is Gor's continental run has provided Kenyan football with a tonic with the country still struggling to repair its two biggest stadiums in Nairobi - Nyayo and Kasarani - in time to host international matches.
The repairs and lack of other planned stadia development cost Kenya the hosting rights of the 2018 Africa Home Nations Championships that went to Morocco in September last year. Enditem