NAIROBI, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Gor Mahia finally jetted out for their confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League match against USM Alger of Algeria on Sunday.
The financially challenged club failed to depart on Thursday as had been scheduled and had to wait for government to bail them out at the last minute to board the plane to the Algerian coast side in Algiers.
With the government having put out of business Gor Mahia sponsors SportPesa over tax arrears, the club had no funds and had to depend on a bailout from the State.
The club coach Steven Polack remains upbeat the team will post good performance in the first leg and hope to finish off their opponents in Nairobi in a week's time.
"We are focused and the squad is ready for the task ahead. We play away and it is important we do not concede. We also want to have away goals," said Polack on Friday in Nairobi.
In Mombasa, Kenya's other side Bandari will host US Ben Guerdane in Confederations Cup.
Head coach Bernard Mwalala is eager to prove his worth among the continent's elite coaches in his maiden show on the continental front.
The 37-year-old who draws inspiration from Liverpool FC tactician Jurgen Klopp credits his brave decision to get into coaching at an early age to his former coach at Harambee Stars Jacob Mulee.
Ahead of the Guerdane game, Mwalala is worried with the fitness of twin strikers Yema Mwana and Abdallah Hassan who have just returned to first team training after recovering from knocks.
He hopes the next few days will see them return to full fitness and be ready for the Tunisian job.
"We are starting at home and one lesson I have picked all along is that a result at home is really important. If we can win here and keep a clean sheet, we have a squad capable to finish the job away from home," said Mwalala.
"I have analyzed Guerdane and it will not be an easy tie. They are a very technical and tactical side with good ball playing players. We cannot afford to give them space to play. We have to shut the spaces and play at a good tempo."
