Gor Mahia head coach Charles Akonnor has expressed his disappointment with the individual mistakes that contributed to the club’s CAF Champions League elimination following the heavy defeat to Pyramids FC in Egypt.

The Kenyan champions saw their continental campaign come to an end after suffering a 5-1 defeat against the Egyptian side, with Akonnor particularly frustrated by the defensive errors that opened the door for Pyramids to punish them.

Speaking after the match, coach Akonnor admitted that he was deeply disappointed by what he saw from his players, insisting that the mistakes were avoidable.

“Today I am really upset. I am not the type of coach who likes to talk about players, but today it was so disappointing,” Akonnor said.

The Ghanaian tactician revealed that he had specifically instructed his players to clear their lines whenever they found themselves in danger, but the team failed to follow those instructions at crucial moments.

“I said if we are in the danger zone, clear the ball, but we just expose ourselves. These things were the biggest errors which cost us,” he added.

Akonnor was particularly critical because he believes players competing at national-team level should have the experience and awareness to deal with such situations.

“These are errors which players who are on a national level should know,” the coach said.

Despite the painful elimination, Akonnor acknowledged the effort that has gone into building the team and expressed his disappointment that avoidable mistakes ultimately undermined their efforts against a strong Pyramids side.

“This was so disappointing to see from a team which we have encouraged to try and do well,” he concluded.

The result brings Gor Mahia’s CAF Champions League journey to an end, but the experience is expected to provide important lessons for Akonnor and the squad as they turn their attention to the challenges ahead.