Gor Mahia coach Leonardo Martins Neiva believes his players need time to fully grasp his philosophy after starting their Kagame Cup campaign with a loss.
Gor Mahia coach Leonardo Martins Neiva stated that he needs more time with his players to implement his philosophy following a 1-0 defeat to Zambia’s Red Arrows in his first match.
K’Ogalo were second-best against the Zambian side in their CECAFA Kagame Cup opener on Wednesday night, resulting in the loss.
The Brazilian tactician is not worried, attributing the defeat to his players still learning his expectations. He believes this will improve with time. “It was a tough game for both teams. In the first half, the team from Zambia controlled the game for the first 25 minutes, but after that, we fixed a few things and got some balance. Overall, they played better than us,” Neiva told the media after the match.
“At halftime, we made some adjustments, and when we came back, we had ball possession and circulation. But it’s my first game with them; they don’t know me yet, so we need more time to address our technical and physical issues.”
Neiva remains optimistic, appreciating several aspects of the match which he sees as foundational for his plans at the club. “I am very happy with the attitude, character, and behavior. They are fighters, and that makes me very happy,” he added.
“We must improve our possession, short passes, movement without the ball, and penetration. We also have new players who will achieve harmony over time.”
Gor Mahia will aim to correct their mistakes when they face Djibouti Telcom in their next match.
