Gor Mahia to miss two strikers as they depart for South Africa for SuperSport clash

NAIROBI, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan league champions, Gor Mahia FC are scheduled to depart on Tuesday night for their CAF Confederations Cup play-off return leg clash against SuperSport United without two key forwards.

Rwandese international and top scorer, Jacques Tuyisenge and Ivorian striker, Ephrem Guikan, were denied travel visas by South African authorities in a move that scuttled plans of British head coach, Dylan Kerr.

Kerr had included Tuyisenge and Guikan in his 20-man playing squad for the trip but the decision to refuse them travel documents at the last minute means he will leave for Pretoria with 18.

Gor hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg played in Machakos, 70km south of the Kenyan capital Nairobi a fortnight ago in a match where Tuyisenge scored the all-important goal.

The record 16-time Kenyan champions will advance to the group stages of the second tier continental competition with a draw or victory.

At the same time, Nairobi Governor, Mike Sonko, came to the rescue of the most decorated Kenyan football club on Tuesday afternoon when he paid for tickets for Gor to honour the Wednesday match at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria.

Club chairman, Ambrose Rachier, confirmed Kerr and his team would depart from Nairobi at 8pm local time for South Africa having postponed their trip from Monday exuding confidence the travel chaos will not affect the team.

"We are happy that we have managed to raise at team of 18 players that we believe is capable of holding out for the result we need despite not being balanced as the coach would have wanted," Rachier added.

He said the Governor had provided tickets to cater for 18 players, five technical bench members led by Kerr, five club officials and a representative from the Football Kenya Federation after the national government failed to bail out the team.

Rachier refused to blame the Tuyisenge and Guikan visa denial on South African authorities.

"It is a matter of policy. The South African government requires any foreigner working in a different country to have a full year work permit and our government opted to give them one for six months.

"I don't know the reason why our authorities declined to give a full year permit yet they are aware our team would be playing in a foreign country, therefore, we can understand the South African government's decision," the long-serving Gor chief clarified.

Gor were initially scheduled to jet out on Monday evening but were delayed by lack of visas and travel tickets after the Ministry of Sports and Heritage that had funded their previous away forays declined to foot the costs of the Pretoria trip.

Kerr will also be missing Ugandan international, Godfrey Walusimbi, who is embroiled in a contractual impasse following their first round exit from the CAF Champions League at the hands of Tunisian giants, Esperance FC.

The Briton will rely on Ugandan born Rwandese international, Meddie Kagere and Bernard Omondi to lead his attack alongside winger George Odhiambo in the absence of Tuyisenge and Guikan. Enditem