Tusker coach Julien Mette has set his sights on the CAF Confederation Cup group stage after guiding the Brewers past Sudanese side Al Ahli Wad Madani in the opening preliminary round.
Tusker advanced 3-2 on aggregate after a 2-2 draw away in Sudan, followed by a 1-0 home win on September 12. Chrispine Erambo scored the decisive goal in the 62nd minute to send Tusker through and set up an East African showdown with Tanzania’s Singida Black Stars in the second preliminary round.
Mette, however, is not satisfied with simply progressing from one round, with the Belgian coach keen to expose his squad to a higher level of competition. “Our objective is to reach the group stage. We don’t want to just pass one round and be happy,” Mette said.
The winner of the two-legged tie against Singida will qualify for the group stage, with the first leg scheduled for Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi next month before the return match in Tanzania.
Mette believes an extended continental campaign would be particularly valuable to the development of Tusker’s younger players, who are being gradually introduced to the demands of African club football. “If we can reach the group stage, it means at least six more games at a very high level for our local players, and this is very important for Kenyan football,” he said.
The Brewers have sought to strike a balance between experience and youth, with senior players expected to provide leadership as their younger teammates adapt to the intensity of continental competition.
“We have some experienced players who can give leadership to the young players, and we want to develop these young players through these kinds of games,” Mette said.
Collins Ochieng and Erambo are among the youngsters who have been handed opportunities during the campaign, with Erambo already making a telling contribution against Al Ahli.
The task is expected to be tougher against Singida, one of Tanzania’s established sides, who have also caught Mette’s attention with their recent 7-1 victory. “Tanzania is probably the strongest league in East Africa at the moment, so Singida will be the favourites,” Mette said.
However, the coach believes Tusker’s preparation time can help bridge the gap between the two sides. The Brewers have about a month to study their opponents and fine-tune their approach before the first leg. “We have one month to analyse them, study them and prepare ourselves, so we will try to use this time as well as possible,” he said.
Tusker captain Abud Omar described Singida as a stable and dangerous opponent but believes the Kenyan side can make the tie competitive. “They are a very stable and dangerous team, but we will have our chances,” Omar said.
For the Brewers, the two-legged contest represents another opportunity to test themselves against strong regional opposition while keeping alive their ambition of reaching the Confederation Cup group stage. “We want to go as far as possible because these games are important for our players and also important for Kenyan football,” Omar said.
