The team touched down at the Julius Nyerere International Airport, hours before action gets underway at the National Main Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam. It was a long journey from Doula, Cameroon and included a transit through Nairobi before arrival in Tanzania.
Having secured a ticket to the group stages of the CAF Confederations Cup, head coach Hassan Oktay and his squad had little time to settle with their first training session at 9am EAT.
In a press conference held on Tuesday morning, Gor Mahia coach Hassan Oktay expressed his confidence, stating that the team is ready for the competition.
"There is no pressure." Oktay said, guaranteeing that his players will be ready for their quarterfinal opponents Mbao FC of Tanzania on Wednesday.
“We are coming here to win. Every time Gor play, they play to win trophies,” he added.
His captain Harun Shakava echoed his coach and expressed their desire and motivation to retain their trophy, having won it in 2017 and 2018.
“We have won this trophy twice already but this time round it will be a bit more difficult since every team is well prepared. (However) We have not come here to participate but to win," said Shakava
The striker had also earlier spoken about the prospect of facing his compatriot and ex-Gor Mahia star forward, Meddie Kagere who traded the Kenyan giants for Tanzanian heavyweights, Simba SC following last year’s success.
“Meddie is a good player, we know him and he knows us." he added
His teammate and Kenya record scorer, Dennis Oliech, who is undoubtedly the most high profile player in the tournament and has had a sizzling impact since ending his two-year absence to the game returned to the land he made his name.
Then a talented teenager playing for Mathare United FC, Oliech memorably broke the hearts of Tanzanian fans when he came off the bench to score for Kenya in a 3-2 victory during the final of the 2002 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup.
Oliech returns to the domestic top flight for the first time in 16 years and he has already scored twice and three assists so far after signing for Gor to honour his late mother having had a rewarding career in Qatar and notably France where he played for Nantes, AJ Auxerre and AJ Ajaccio.
Besides Oliech and Tuyisenge, Gor firepower also features Ugandan Erisa Sekisambu who notched the first SPL hat-trick for Gor this term in the 4-1 thumping of Mt. Kenya United FC and Burundi man Francis Mustapha.
First game
Gor are scheduled to take on Mbao, the SportPesaCup newcomers who have quickly established a giant-killing reputation in the Tanzanian top flight league. The match is scheduled for Wednesday, 2pm.
The winner will face the victor of the showpiece's last eight clash between Simba and domestic arch rivals, AFC Leopards SC that kicks off on the same afternoon at 4pm.
Gor outclassed Simba 2-0 and Leopards 3-0 in that order to lift the 2017 and 18 SP Cup titles.
Victory saw them become the first side from their region to play Everton FC- the nine-time English champions- on their maiden tour to East Africa and at Goodison Park in each of the years they celebrated SP Cup glory.
They will be aiming to return home with their trophy to get another bite at the Blues who beat them 1-2 in Dar and 0-4 during their meetings.