South African international Percy Tau delivered a stunning performance, scoring twice as Al Ahly secured a dominant 3-0 victory over Kenyan champions Gor Mahia at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday evening.
The defending CAF Champions League champions now have a strong advantage heading into the second leg in Cairo next weekend.
The Red Devils netted two quick goals in the first half, with Tau sealing the win in the second, leaving Gor Mahia with a daunting task to overturn the deficit.
Early Pressure from Al Ahly
The visitors took control early in the match and were 2-0 up within the first 15 minutes. Al Ahly’s first goal came when centre-back Rami Rabia capitalized on a mistake by Gor Mahia goalkeeper Kevin Omondi, who fumbled a cross from Hussein El Shahat. Rabia pounced on the loose ball, sending it into the roof of the net.
Just moments later, Percy Tau doubled Al Ahly’s lead. The South African forward intercepted a poor backpass and expertly beat Omondi in a one-on-one situation, making it 2-0 in quick succession.
Al Ahly almost extended their lead further, but Omondi made a brilliant double save to deny Wessam Abou Ali from close range.
Gor Mahia’s Response
Despite the early setbacks, Gor Mahia responded with their first effort on target in the 23rd minute. Enoch Morrison unleashed a powerful shot from inside the box after a corner, but Al Ahly’s goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy made an excellent save to preserve their two-goal lead.
Facing the need to score, Gor Mahia had to abandon their defensive approach. Coach Jonathan McKinstry made tactical changes, substituting Philemon Otieno and Kennedy Onyango for Alpha Onyango and Paul Ochuoga. The tactical shift saw defender Alphonce Omija move back to his natural centre-back position, while Gor adopted a more attacking formation.
The adjustments sparked offensive improvement, and five minutes before halftime, Austin Odhiambo played Boniface Omondi through on goal, but his shot narrowly missed the target, going just over the crossbar.
Second-Half Control by Al Ahly
In the second half, Al Ahly sat back and allowed Gor Mahia to maintain possession, confident in their defensive organization. Gor struggled to break down the Egyptian giants, who remained comfortable throughout the half, restricting the home side to few clear-cut chances.
Tau completed his brace and sealed the victory in the 75th minute, reacting quickest to a rebound after Omondi had made an initial save. Tau blasted the ball home, putting the game beyond Gor Mahia’s reach.
Gor Mahia pushed to find a late consolation goal, but their efforts fell short. Shariff Musa thought he had pulled one back when he tapped in after El Shenawy parried a shot from Samuel Kapen, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Gor Mahia’s Uphill Task
With a 3-0 deficit to overcome, Gor Mahia now face an uphill battle in the second leg in Cairo if they hope to keep their CAF Champions League dream alive. Meanwhile, Al Ahly’s commanding performance puts them one step closer to securing a spot in the group stages.
The second leg will be played next weekend in Cairo, where Gor Mahia will need a miraculous comeback to overturn the result.
