Gor Mahia suffered a 2-0 defeat to Sudan’s Al Hilal Omdurman on Tuesday afternoon at the Azam Complex in Chamazi, concluding a disappointing run at the CECAFA Club Championship for the record Kenyan league champions.

Already eliminated after a 1-0 loss to Zambia’s Red Arrows and a 1-1 draw with Djibouti Telecom in their initial Group B matches, Gor Mahia aimed to secure a morale-boosting win under their new Brazilian coach, Leonardo Martins Neiva, who succeeded Johnathan McKinstry. However, it was not to be.

The 2023-24 FKF Premier League champions conceded two second-half goals, with Salaheldin Alhassan opening the scoring in the 56th minute and Mohamed Abdel Raman sealing the victory in the 89th minute, as Al Hilal Omdurman topped Group B.

Al Hilal Omdurman progressed to the semifinals with an impressive record, winning all their group matches, keeping clean sheets in each game, and scoring nine goals. Gor Mahia, on the other hand, finished joint-bottom of Group B with Djibouti Telecom, who also lost 1-0 to Red Arrows.

Red Arrows advanced to the semifinals as the best-ranked second-place team.

The 2024 CECAFA Club Championship featured 12 teams divided into three groups of four. The top two teams from each group, along with the best-ranked second-place team, advanced to the semifinals. Al Wadi of Sudan, Al Hilal Omdurman, and APR Rwanda won Groups A, B, and C respectively, securing their semifinal spots.

Red Arrows, with six points from two group stage matches, claimed the slot for the best-ranked second-place team. The semifinals are scheduled for Friday, July 19, 2024, in Dar es Salaam, with Al Hilal facing APR Rwanda and Red Arrows taking on Al Wadi.

The third-place play-off and final will be held on July 20 and 21, respectively.

The 2024 CECAFA Club Championship, sponsored by the Sudan Football Association, Dar Port through the Tanzania Ports Authority, Azam TV, and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, offers prize money of US$30,000 for the champions, US$20,000 for the runners-up, and US$10,000 for the third-place team.

With their elimination, Gor Mahia will now focus on the inaugural Coal City International tournament in Enugu State, Nigeria, from August 1 to August 11, 2024. The eight-team invitational event includes Brazil’s Esporte Clube Vitoria, FC Kallon of Sierra Leone, and Cotton FC from Benin, along with Nigerian clubs Enugu Rangers, Enyimba, Kano Pillars, and Remo Stars.

Gor Mahia stands a chance to win SH 7 million if they triumph in the tournament. They are already guaranteed 5 million naira (approximately SH 478,000) as an appearance fee per match. The tournament winner will receive 50 million naira (approximately SH 4.78 million).

This competition will be part of Gor Mahia’s preparations for their CAF Champions League preliminary first qualifying round matches against El Merreikh Bentiu of South Sudan.