Record Kenyan champions Gor Mahia reached the finals of the CECAFA Kagame Cup after holding their nerve to seal a dramatic 8-7 penalty shootout victory in the semi-finals against Sudanese giants Al Hilal to be one game away from quenching their 41-year wait for the title.s
The Kenyan club grabbed the lead, after Steven Ebuela turned the ball into his own net in the 34th minute, before Ansumana Samura restored parity for Al Hilal 10 minutes later.
Things then went from bad to worse for the Charles Akonnor-led side when Jackson Dwang’ was sent off for a second bookable offence after another reckless challenge on an Al Hilal player.
Reduced to 10 men for the remainder of extra time, Gor dug deep defensively, with Omondi producing another crucial save late on to force the match into penalties, where K’Ogalo eventually emerged victorious.
The tie failed to witness any further goals in both regular and extra time, forcing the game to penalties.
Gor Mahia qualified for the semis as Group A winners despite posting mixed results, including a comfortable 5-0 rout of APR FC in their opening match, a 1-0 loss to Vipers SC in the second encounter and a 1-0 win in the final match against Djibouti’s Garde Républicaine, where they were reduced to 10 men.
Al Hilal Omdurman, on the other hand, finished second to Rayon Sports in Group C, setting the stage for an epic match that was widely billed as the ‘final before the final’.
New signing Daniel Sakari was the first Gor Mahia player to miss in the shootout after blasting his effort over the bar.
Al Hilal converted their next four penalties and looked set to seal their place in the final, but Ernest Luzolo’s spot-kick was brilliantly saved by Omondi to keep Gor alive.
The shootout stretched to the eighth round, where Lesley Otieno struck the woodwork to hand Al Hilal the advantage.
Their goalkeeper, Soufiane Farid, then stepped up knowing a goal would send his side through, but he blazed his effort over the bar, giving the Kenyan record champions another lifeline.
Omondi then stepped up to convert Gor’s next penalty before returning to his goal hoping to make the decisive save.
He did not need to, as Musa Hussein rattled the woodwork with his effort, confirming Gor Mahia’s place in the final.
They will now face Jamus SC or Rayon Sports on Friday in the final, hoping to reclaim the Kagame Cup title they last won 41 years ago.
Gor Mahia vs Al Hilal – 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup Semifinal Lineups
- Gor Mahia Starting XI: Byrne Omondi, Daniel Sakari, Mike Kibwage, Frank Odhiambo, Siraj Mohammed, Ebenezer Ocran, Enock Machaka, Lawrence Juma, Shariff Musa, Paul Okoth, David Okoth.
- Al Hilal SC Starting XI: Soufiane Ouedraogo, Kamaradini Mamudu, Ansumana Samura, Abdelrazig Omer, Mohamed Abdelrahman, Ernest Luzolo, Ahmed M’bareck, Steven Ebuela, Babe Diarra, Salim Adams, Ousmane Diouf.
