NAIROBI, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Record Kenyan league winners Gor Mahia FC took control of Group D of the 2018/19 CAF Confederations Cup on Sunday with a 2-0 victory over ten-man NA Hussein Dey of Algeria in Nairobi.
There was late drama when Gor scored twice through Kenyan international midfielder Francis Kahata and Rwanda forward Jacques Tuyisenge, with Chems Edine Harrag having been sent off in between, with all the action happening inside the last ten minutes.
Kahata sent the passionate home fans wild in the 81st minute when he scored the opener after being set up by Ugandan wingback Shafiq Batambuze.
Edine received his marching orders soon after for protesting furiously with the referee and it got worse for Hussein Dey in the 86th minute when Tuyisenge finished another Shafik Batambuze assist.
Victory saw the Kenyan giants, who started the game second on goal difference, go top of the group on six points, displacing Hussein Dey from the summit, as the Algerians slipped to second on four points.
Third-placed Petro Atletico de Luanda of Angola were scheduled to play later on Sunday away to five-time African champions Zamalek of Egypt, who are languishing at the bottom of the group with a single point.
Gor, who have won the Kenyan league title 17 times, are well on course to make a first appearance in the Confederations Cup quarterfinals, having missed the last eight of the second-tier continental competition by only a point last season.
It was their second victory at home over North African opposition in the group stages after they shocked pool favorites Zamalek 4-2 in the same stadium in the opening round, before losing 1-2 to Petro Atletico in Luanda on their last outing.
The visitors threatened first in the 10th minute of the cagey contest but Hussein Dey skipper Ahmed Gasmi fluffed his lines when he failed to time his run to a through ball to perfection, sending his effort wide.
Gor poured forward two minutes later and Kenyan forward Nicholas Kipkurui put his strike partner Tuyisenge through but the club's top scorer lacked venom in his shot, allowing Zakaria Bouhalfaya in the visitors' goal to gather.
In the 29th minute, the Algerians were forced into a change when Abderaouf Chouiter came on for captain Gasmi who was injured in a collision with defender Joash Onyango, in what was the first blow for the visitors.
With home fans agitated at what they perceived was time wasting tactics by Hussein Dey, the Algerians were once again compelled to make another switch in the 41st minute when Hocine Laribi came on for the injured Abderahmnane Yousfi.
A tepid first half ended 0-0 and eight minutes after the restart, Gor threatened again when Bernard Onyango found Nicholas Kipkirui in space and crossed the ball for Kahata, but the midfielder failed to find a clean connection and Bouhalfaya gratefully gathered.
Loud appeals for a penalty in the 65th minute were turned down, after a perceived handball in the Hussein Dey box after Bernard danced past three defenders before attempting a delivery.
The midfielder then took the resultant corner and found teammate Charles Momanyi unmarked but the defender headed over with a gaping goal to aim at.
With a draw looking imminent, the last 10 minutes provided a strong finish from Gor to send thousands of their screaming supporters into ecstasy.
