The Kenyan record title holders will face a huge task to overturn the defeat suffered at Nyayo Stadium courtesy of goals from Walid El Karti, who found the back of the net in the fifth minute and Mahmoud Saber, who scored in the 45th minute.
The victory gives Pyramids, who won their maiden CAF Champions League title in 2025 after defeating South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns 3-2 in the final, a huge advantage heading into the return leg slated for September 13th in Cairo.
Gor Mahia came into the game seeking to beat the former champions, but after conceding with only five minutes played, they were not able to spark a comeback on home soil.
Despite the outcome, Akonnor has put up a brave face, insisting K’Ogalo could still qualify for the next round if they tackle the return leg by doing the right things at the right moment.
Gor Mahia will find a strategy
"Pyramids were experienced. They have a lot of national players in their team. They’ve played in their league," the Ghanaian coach told the media after the game, as quoted by Pulse Sports.
"They’ve played four matches. They’ve not lost anything. So, they are a good side, and we have to accept it in good faith, go into the next game and believe that if we do the right things at the right moment, there’s always a chance for us."
Akonnor added: "Today we lost 2-0. You never know. But it’s too early to talk about it. We will find a strategy, an idea of how we want to play in Cairo. And then we’ll see the way forward.
"Well, I think today, if you look at how we played in the previous matches, there are so many reasons why we were not in good shape after CECAFA."
Discussing the overall performance of Gor Mahia against Pyramids, Akonnor said: "Before this game, I’ve always talked about the little details, you know, and that is what we saw.
"In the early minutes, we had a goal where they saw a chance to score. We tried it, but it didn’t happen.
"Just immediately after that, we conceded the goal, and these are a few things that, you know, we're talking about: an experienced team, a team that is the Egyptian champions."
Akonnor concluded: "Today, we’ve shown a good sign. I’m very, very happy about it. Especially in the second half we played. And so, we are not too worried.
"It’s the momentum. It’s the idea of going forward, pushing forward. These boys need to be encouraged. Even if things go bad, we need to encourage them. We need to give them self-belief, and we’ll see the way forward."
Gor Mahia have learnt lessons
Akonnor added: "And so, the least mistake you make, you will be punished. We had the necessary details on how to approach this game.
"In the first half, there was a little bit of a lack of concentration. We didn’t do well. We were supposed to hold the midfield. We lost the midfield a bit. It gave them an advantage in controlling the game. In the second half, it got better.
"We created a few chances, and of course those who came in the name of Jackson and the rest proved a little bit of positivity in the way we played and the way we wanted to play.
"Unfortunately, we've lost and disappointed our fans, but life goes on, and there are a lot of lessons to take from this game."
Gor Mahia went into the fixture having lost their FKF Super Cup fixture 3-1 against Tusker FC the previous Sunday.
For Pyramids, they have already kicked off the 2026/27 Egyptian Premier League season with a maximum of nine points from their opening three matches.
Pyramids, under South African coach Rulani Mokwena, are currently sitting at the top of the 20-team league table with nine points from three matches.
The winner of the two-legged contest will advance to the second preliminary round, where they will face either South Sudan’s El Merreikh Bentiu or Somalia’s Heegan FC.
