Today
Confederation Cup

2nd leg
APR  v  Gor Mahia 3:30pm

Nine-time league winners APR will start with the striking pair of Labama Bokota and Elias Uzamukunda against Gor Mahia in the return leg of the Confederation Cup this afternoon at Nyamirambo stadium.

With one foot already in the next round after the 5-0 in from the first leg in Nairobi, APR head coach Rene Feller told Times Sport yesterday that he will maintain the same squad that outclassed the Kenyans a fortnight ago.

"I don’t know whether Gor Mahia will play better than they played in Nairobi but for us we hope to maintain philosophy of playing attacking football with good possession,” said the Dutchman.

Congolese international striker Ndjoli Bokungu will start from the bench as the coach prefers to go with the Bokota and Uzamukunda partnership in his quest for goals.

Burundi international midfielder Fuadi Ndayisenga, who was instrumental in the first leg, will be in the starting team.

Both strikers scored three times between themselves (Bokota 2, Uzamukunda 1) in the first leg thus forcing the Dutchman to keep faith with them.

However, Bokungu, who was signed from DR Congo club DC Motema Pembe, has not easily influenced Feller despite being a hit in the local league. He scored the only goal as APR beat Amagaju1-0 last weekend.

Both Ndayisenga and Bokota hit a brace in the first leg and Uzamukunda thunderbolt strike as the 1987 continental champions were outclassed. Nonetheless, Gor Mahia is in an upbeat mood despite a five-goal deficit from the first leg.

The past two weeks have not been easy for the Kenyan cup winners but coach James Sianga’s and hi boys are optimistic of a fair performance. However, Sianga was hesitant on Friday whether his team would overturn the 5-0 deficit to reach the next round.

"My team is still in a learning process and I will demand them to play good football and avoid allowing scoring chances for the opposition.

"I believe in my players as they face a more experienced APR side that has played continental football in the last ten years ago,” Sianga said.

In a fortnight the Kenyan Cup champions have conceded 11 goals in three matches. It all started with their shaky comeback onto the continental soccer scene going down 5-0 to APR.

They then lost 1-0 to Ulinzi Stars in their KPL season opening match in Nakuru before succumbing to another 5-0 defeat at the hands of Al Merreikh of Sudan in an International friendly.

Mathematically Gor Mahia needs to beat APR 6-0 in order to qualify for the 2nd round.

Ends