Gor Mahia proved their championship pedigree when it mattered most, gutting out a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Djibouti’s Garde Républicaine on Thursday night at Kigali Pele Stadium. The clutch win pushed K’Ogalo straight into the semi-finals of the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup as Group A winners.
Fresh off a frustrating late setback against Vipers SC, Charles Akonnor’s side needed a fast start to steady the ship—and striker Paul Okoth delivered just that. The former Ulinzi Stars forward pounced early, slotting home a clinical finish in the 4th minute to give the Kenyan champions a precious lead.
Gor Mahia dominated early exchanges, but the match turned into a gritty test of character after K’Ogalo were reduced to 10 men. Forced to dig deep and defend resolutely for the remainder of the clash, Gor Mahia put on a masterclass in resilience to hold onto the slender lead until the final whistle.
The victory proved doubly sweet as group rivals Vipers SC stumbled to a 2-1 defeat against APR FC. That result left Gor Mahia, Vipers, and APR all tied on six points, but K’Ogalo snatched top spot in Group A courtesy of their commanding goal difference—largely built on their 5-0 thrashing of APR on opening day.
Gor Mahia now march into the last four as they continue their pursuit of a fourth CECAFA Kagame Cup crown.
