Ochieng' out of Gor Mahia squad but Shakava promises to fight against Otoho d'Oyo

Gor Mahia midfielder Sydney Ochieng' has been ruled out of the first leg of the final preliminary round of the Caf Confederation Cup against Otoho d'Oyo on Sunday.

The midfielder sustained a hamstring injury in the club's build-up match last weekend against Kisumu All-Stars, which K'ogalo lost 2-1. Initially, the club had expressed optimism the experienced former Tusker FC player will be fit for the game, but it has not been the case.

Ochieng's absence leaves the club with just 15 players ahead of the game. There are only two centre-backs and only three in-field substitutes.

Gor Mahia fill fight

"Yes, there is pressure considering the thin squad we have," club captain Haron Shakava told GOAL.

"It means if one centre-back is injured or one is ruled out for the same reason as Ochieng then it will be tough. But we are men, we will fight as players to get a positive outcome, our only prayer is that no one else gets injured."

K'Ogalo had also played Shabana FC in another build-up match, winning 2-1, and assistant captain Philemon Otieno has commented on the friendlies.

"We have had two weeks to rest from the FKF Premier League and prepare for the continental game. We have also played two friendly matches that have been helpful as we plan to play away in Congo," the defender stated.

Goal Kenya.

Meanwhile, Gor Mahia assistant coach Sammy Omollo is optimistic about a positive outing at Alphonse Massamba-Debat Stadium in Brazzaville. The East Africans have struggled in Congo, but the former Harambee Star insists it will not be the case this time around.

"It is true the team has struggled in the past away to Congo but this time around it will be a different case," Omollo told GOAL.

"We have been working hard on rectifying where we had gone wrong in our initial visits and I am sure we have done so. The training sessions we had helped us prepare well for the match.

"And the good thing is that we have the videos of the team, we know how they play and what we are expecting from them. So it is not like we are going to play a team that we don't know."