CAF Champions League: Kenya coaches will be watching Gor Mahia v Pyramids game – Charles Akonnor

Gor Mahia head coach Charles Akonnor has urged his players to seize the spotlight when they face Pyramids FC in the CAF Champions League, saying Kenya’s national team coaches will be closely watching their performance.

The Kenyan champions host Rulani Mokwena’s Egyptian side in Nairobi on Sunday in the first leg of their first preliminary-round tie, with Gor Mahia beginning their continental campaign before the start of the domestic season.

Former Ghana coach Akonnor believes the occasion carries added significance because Benni McCarthy’s Harambee Stars coaching staff will be assessing players ahead of the upcoming international break.

“It is a moment for our players to show exactly what they are made of,” Akonnor told Citizen Digital.

“We believe that this is not a normal match. It’s beyond a league match because it’s an international game. It is also important for our players to do well, knowing that the national team coaches are also watching.”

McCarthy this week named a provisional Kenya squad that includes several Gor Mahia players ahead of the start of the country’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

Kenya are scheduled to open their qualifying fixtures with a home game against Eritrea before travelling to face Guinea later this month.

Despite taking part in the qualifiers, the Harambee Stars have already secured a place at the 2027 AFCON as co-hosts of the tournament alongside Uganda and Tanzania.