Gor Mahia looked destined to qualify for the quarters of the Confederations Cup from their group D but came short at the last hurdle.
The Kenyan Champions were leading the group going into the last matches of the group, but a 2-1 loss to eventual group winners USM Alger saw them bow out.
The team had fancied their chances from the start, but could not make it past the group, bringing an end a fairy tale that would have brought back the glory days to the club.
Here are the main reasons why the team failed to make it past the group stage.
1. Congested matches
The team has played more than 29 matches since June, meaning the team has played no less than 2 matches every week. This was tiring for the players and was evident when the team lost their match against Rayon Sports at the Moi Kasarani.
There have been accusations and counter-accusations on whom to blame for the congested fixtures, but it remains that fatigue had a role to play in Gor's poor show.
2. Defeat against Rayon
Gor Mahia could have easily qualified from the group were it not that they let a chance slip through their fingers. The loss to Rayon Sports while playing at the Kasarani Stadium was the turning point of what was a clear qualification chance.
If Gor had won the match, they would have been on 11 points going into the last match, and even if they could have lost to USM, they could have qualified as number 2.
3. Losing key players
Gor Mahia lost two great players in Godfrey Walusimbi and Meddie Kagere. The two were mainstays in the team, and their lostt proved costly.
The Kenyan champions bowed out in the group stages after the defeat in Algeria, and will now continue rebuilding in readiness for next season's tournament.