Geoffrey ‘Simiti’ Ochieng' eyeing maiden CAF Champions League berth with Gor Mahia

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FKFPL Geoffrey ‘Simiti’ Ochieng' eyeing maiden CAF Champions League berth with Gor Mahia

Mark Kinyanjui 16:59 - 09.10.2023

The hardman is adamant that Gor Mahia can get to the Champions League places next year by winning the league title but denied any claims it will be easy.

Gor Mahia assistant captain Geoffrey 'Simiti' Ochieng’ has opted to pick the evasive card when asked whether the 20-time league champions will retain their title without breaking a lot of sweat this season.

Ochieng’ was instrumental as he led K'Ogalo to a win over sworn Mashemeji Derby rivals AFC Leopards on Saturday afternoon, bobbing up and down the left flank whenever the opportunity allowed him to.

The full-back insisted that he was adamant that Gor Mahia can get to the Champions League places next year by winning the league title, but denied any claims it would be easy.

“Our target is the same. You already know what the target is. I cannot say. You know it, it is usual, to play in the Champions League,” Ochieng’ told Pulse Sports.

“What we are looking at is not the league. We are looking at the Champions League, and to get to the Champions League, we have to win the league first.

“The challengers are there. It is not that they are not there. You know we are just trying to work hard and we know that if we get an opportunity to get all three points, we take them and go on.

Ochieng' insists that the title race is a marathon, saying that the league has not been won after just six matches. 

“We have challengers, the league just started, which game is this? The sixth one. There are challengers. Moving forward, you will see they are there. “

Their closest rivals for the title last season, Tusker, have started the league slowly, already losing two matches. Kenya Police FC have also started fairly slowly, although Posta Rangers have become somewhat surprise title challengers this season.

Ochieng’ has compared the league season to being like going on a safari to Machakos, saying that “you can't get there out of the blue’

There are guys who start slowly and if you want to go to Machakos, you have to go through places to get there. 

“You cannot just get to Machakos out of the blue.”