CAF Confederation Cup: Gor Mahia Qualifies for Next Round After Cancellation of Al Ahly Merowe Tie

• Gor Mahia had taken a huge step towards qualifying for the playoff round of the CAF Confederation Cup after seeing off Al Ahly Merowe in the first leg
• However, they have now sealed a place in the next round of the competition after their opponents failed to show up for the second leg in Nairobi
• The Kenya Premier League giants will now be waiting anxiously to learn about their next opponents as they look to win the continental showpiece

The CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round between Gor Mahia and Al Ahly Merowe which was slated for Sunday, October 24, has been cancelled.

The clash was called off after the Sudanese team withdrew from the second leg which was to be played at Nyayo Stadium.

The development was confirmed by Gor Mahia via their social media platforms, with the club divulging cancellation of the fixture was occasioned by Al Ahly Merowe's failure to show up for the return leg.

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"Our CAF match against Al Ahly Merowe of Sudan that was set for today at Nyayo stadium cancelled after the opponents fail to show up; we qualify to next round," the KPL giants tweeted.

A statement by Emad Shenouda, Manager of Interclubs Competitions, had earlier confirmed the fixture would not go on as planned but failed to go into detail on why Gor's opponents decided to withdraw.

“Reference the above-mentioned match, we would like to inform you that the Sudanese federation have communicated the withdrawal of the club Ahly Merowe from the competition," The Standard cited a statement by Shenouda.

"Accordingly, we hereby inform you that the match is cancelled and that Gor Mahia have been qualified to the Additional 2nd Preliminary round of the competition," he added.

K'Ogalo already had one foot in the second preliminary round of the continental tournament having secured a 3-1 comfortable win in the reverse tie staged in Suez, Egypt.

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The result meant a draw of whatever scoreline would ensure Gor Mahia's progression to the playoff round.

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Meanwhile, the Green Army had earlier secured a morale-boosting win over arch-rivals AFC Leopards just days before their hosting with AL Ahly Merowe.

TUKO.co.ke reported a lone first-half strike from Boniface Omondi was enough for Gor Mahia to see off Leopards.

K'Ogalo were dominant in the game and had the better chances, although Ingwe were much improved after the break.