Caf Confederation Cup: Vaz Pinto sets Gor Mahia target vs Napsa Stars

Gor Mahia coach Carlos Manuel Vaz Pinto has set the target of reaching the group stage of the Caf Confederation Cup at the expense of Napsa Stars of Zambia.

The Kenyan champions will host the pensioners in their first-ever meeting at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday after they dropped to the lower-tier competition following their dismal run in the Champions League.

Gor Mahia were unable to progress into the group stage after losing 6-1 to CR Belouizdad in the first leg before a 2-1 home defeat in the second round of Champions League qualification.

The new Portuguese tactician, who replaced Roberto Oliveira at K’Ogalo, has said their main focus is to make sure they reach the competition’s group stage.

“Our focus is our process and always I said we keep the focus in our work to grow as a team, I don’t keep focusing in our results, I put the focus in our training, in our process because of that I don’t think we have any type pressure,” Vaz Pinto told Goal on Friday.

“I know it is important to win because it not only for Gor Mahia but for the football of Kenya, we play to represent the country not to represent Gor Mahia and because of that it is important to win the match but my main focus is always in my work.”

On whether he will help the team reach the group stage, Vaz Pinto said: “We have one goal in this competition and our main goal is get to the group stage, we will work to this and of course I believe we can do that because the players have given good signs in training sessions and like I said before we continue to work and get to the group stage and after that, we will see.

“We want to win the league, we want to win titles and like I said before our main target is to reach the group stage, it is very important we do that, these are the three big goals we have for this season.”

On his part, captain Kenneth Muguna dismissed reports doing round in social media that some of the players in the team had opted to skip training pressing for their unpaid salaries.

 “I was in the national team training camp and we were given a day off before joining Gor Mahia, so I don’t think we have skipped training, every player is around and we are ready,” Muguna told Goal.

“We know Napsa is a good team, though we don’t know them the same way we know teams that will play against them in Kenya but we always go into matches with confidence and aiming to win and I know we have a good squad to give us the good result.

Gor Mahia are currently placed sixth on the 18-team league table with 16 points from nine matches.