Caf Confederation Cup: Gor Mahia have only 15 players to face DC Motema Pembe â€“ Polack

BetOdds CAF Confederation Cup Motema Pembe v Gor Mahia Motema Pembe Gor Mahia

The British coach bemoans the clubÃ¢Â€Â™s decision to register a lean squad for the competition ahead of SundayÃ¢Â€Â™s decisive battle

Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack has admitted he is concerned with the depth of his squad as they head for their Caf Confederation Cup playoff return leg clash on Sunday.

The Kenyan champions will take on Daring Club Motema Pembe from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the second leg having battled to a 1-1 draw in the first leg played at Kasarani Stadium last Sunday.

With central defender Charles Momanyi set to miss the match after being sent off during the first leg, coach Polack now says having a lean squad going into such a huge assignment is not good for any team.

Ã¢Â€ÂœI am not worried playing without [Momanyi] but my main worry is we only registered 16 players for the Caf tournament and now we have 15 players to take to Congo and I hope and pray no one gets injured,Ã¢Â€Â Polack told Goal on Friday.

Ã¢Â€ÂœWe have 15 players and it is not easy to go to a decisive game like this with 15 players but at the end of the day you can have 15 players or 50 players but you will have to field eleven players in a single match.Ã¢Â€Â

Asked on whether the absence of Momanyi will affect the team, Polack said: Ã¢Â€ÂœI have players who can do the job as well, that is why we have reserve players and I know any player who will come in will do a good job.Ã¢Â€Â

Polack has also reiterated the fact his side will not sit back and defend against Motema Pembe but will fight to get away goals.

Ã¢Â€ÂœMy team is okay so far, they have been responding well to training,Ã¢Â€Â Polack continued.

Ã¢Â€ÂœI have been talking to my strikers - Nicholas [Kipkirui] and Gnamien [Yikpe] - on why we need them to be at their best on Sunday. They know we need the goals and I am happy they have looked very positive in training since we played the last match.

Ã¢Â€ÂœWe have to score a goal or even two, it is very possible because when I watched them play here, they looked like they can concede back home.

Ã¢Â€ÂœWe need the goals of course and I am going to watch another video of them before I come up with the best style of approaching the game away.Ã¢Â€Â

The second leg will be played on Sunday with the aggregate winner getting into the lucrative group stage which comes with Sh27.5 million prize money.

2019-11-01 10:00:03

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