Kenya’s continental campaign starts with draws and defeats as Murkomen calls for better performance

Kenya’s first continental campaign of the 2024/25 season yielded a blend of outcomes over the weekend, with both hopefuls and challenges emerging from their fixtures.

In the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round, Kenya Police were held to a goalless draw by Ethiopian Coffee at the Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday 18 August. Despite a valiant effort, the result leaves them with work to do in the second leg.

Gor Mahia, Kenya’s Premier League giants, faced a setback as they fell 1-0 to South Sudan’s Al Merreikh Bentiu in a closely contested CAF Champions League preliminary round match in Juba. The defeat puts Gor Mahia at a disadvantage as they prepare for the return leg in Nairobi.

Commenting on the weekend’s matches, Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports, Onesmus Murkomen, expressed optimism for future improvements. On X, Murkomen acknowledged the challenges faced and expressed hope for better outcomes in the second leg:

“These matches were the first leg for both clubs, and I hope our teams will post better results in the second leg,” he stated.

Murkomen also emphasised the need for ongoing efforts to address longstanding issues affecting Kenyan football. “We can do better, and we will do better by resolving mismanagement issues that have long bedeviled football in this country. We owe it to the players and the fans. Kenya Police FC, Gor Mahia, and Kenya Police Bullets, that was a great effort. Hats off!” he added.

A mixed bag of results today for our teams in their first continental campaign matches of the 2024/25 season. In the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round match, Kenya Police were held to a nil-nil draw by Ethiopia's Coffee Sports this afternoon at the Nyayo Stadium.

Our… pic.twitter.com/o61O06uWfN

— KIPCHUMBA MURKOMEN, E.G.H (@kipmurkomen) August 18, 2024

Looking ahead, Kenya Police FC will travel to Ethiopia for the second leg of their preliminary round match against their opponents on August 25, 2024. The aggregate winner will advance to the second preliminary round.

Gor Mahia will host the return leg of their match at home on August 25, 2024. The team will need to overturn the deficit from the first leg to progress to the next stage.

Kenya Police Bullets, meanwhile, will continue their campaign in the CECAFA Zonal qualifiers for the CAF Women’s Champions League. They are set to play against CBE Women FC on August 21 at 3 p.m., with their final group stage match against Rayon Sports WFC scheduled for August 25, also at 3 p.m.

Should Kenya Police Bullets advance beyond the group stage, they will compete in the semi-finals on August 28, with the tournament concluding on August 31 with both the final and the third-place playoff.