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Homeboyz could not handle Al Hilal’s wing pay, which contributed enormously to their heavy 4-1 drubbing in the second leg of their debut CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round appearance.
For the fifth season in a row, Kenya will not be having a club representing it in the group stages of the African continental competitions this season after Kakamega Homeboyz were dumped out of the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round second leg to Libyan outfit Al Hilal Benghazi on Sunday.
For most of you reading this, it may have gone under the radar due to the stellar performances that Faith Kipyegon and Mary Moraa displayed on the same day as they delivered gold medals at the recently concluded World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
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15:30 - 30.08.2023
Why KRA will not be taxing the millions Faith Kipyegon, Mary Moraa and co earned in Budapest
The Kenyan athletes will enjoy a tax-free income at home from their winnings at the 2023 World Championships due to a number of reasons
Given the country is still in delirium over their achievements, it is completely understandable, but in case you might not know, Homeboyz were drubbed 4-1 away in Libya, effectively ending their continental dreams even before they had started.
In the first leg held at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi eight days earlier, Homeboyz managed to salvage a 0-0 draw against the Libyans in front of an ecstatic crowd mostly cladding Talanta Hela t-shirts, but on a dark, hot evening in North Africa and without the support from the fans, they could not deliver.
But what exactly went wrong for Abana Beingo? This article explains the traps out wide by Al Hilal which Homeboyz fell for that effectively crushed their dreams of going far in Africa.
After the first leg of the clash at Nyayo, Homeboyz head coach Patrick ‘Luwowo’ Odhiambo insisted that Al Hilal’s width gave them a hard time at Nyayo, considering they played wingbacks in a back five formation.
Wingers Moses Mudavadi and Kevin Amwayi were constantly being forced to track back, which meant that whenever Homeboyz won the ball, they could not release the ball out wide quickly enough because both wide men were not in positions to receive the ball quickly.
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19:30 - 30.08.2023
STARS ABROAD Dennis Ng’ang’a starts, John Ochieng off the bench as Zanaco share spoils with FC Muza in Zambian league
The two former Gor Mahia players were involved in their second league match in a row for their Zambian team but could not secure maximum points
Heading into that second leg match, he instructed his team to defend in a 4-4-2 compact shape off the ball, seemingly asking them not to be drawn out wide.
However, the width provided by Al Hilal’s wingers constantly drew Homeboyz players out of their positions as they got stretched, which created gaps in the middle of the park for Nigerian striker Ifeanyi Eze, who had a field day exploiting these gaps to get into goal scoring positions.
The first goal was a textbook example of this.
Al Hilal’s right winger receives the ball wide before he easily bypasses Homeboyz left back Brian Wekesa.
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He then carries the ball forward, which also attracts more Homeboyz players into watching him and being dragged towards him
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Which creates space for Eze who receives the ball and has space and time to turn and then release a ferocious shot into the back of the net in the 15th minute.
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The third goal was also created in very similar circumstances.
The Al Hilal midfielder switches the ball onto the left flank to the left winger in the screenshots below
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He then quickly finds the midfielder in the interior, with Homeboyz players attracted to him, which leaves Eze noticing a gap created which he quickly runs into before receiving the ball to score the third goal of the night
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He then quickly finds the midfielder in the interior, with Homeboyz players attracted to him, which leaves Eze noticing a gap created which he quickly runs into before receiving the ball to score the third goal of the night
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Homeboyz reduced the deficit before half time through Moses Mudavadi, and for much of the second half, the game became a damp squib.
However, in the dying minutes of the match, Al Hilal scored the fourth goal under the same circumstances.
The Al Hilal midfielder switches the play to the right winger, who then isolates Wekesa before releasing an inswing left footed cross towards Kevin Andoh who sets the game set and match
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You might say that it is the first time Homeboyz got to experience what it is like to play a continental competition. You might also say it was the first time they also got to experience the dreaded North African clashes away from home first hand.
You may also say that most of the players were playing at night in the second leg for the first time in their careers which may have contributed to their drubbing.
However, Homeboyz were also outsmarted by Al Hilal’s wingers. They could not find a way to stop that threat. They hopefully have gained invaluable experience, which they can use to build on domestically this season.
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17:00 - 30.08.2023
FOOTBALL Gor Mahia legend expresses concern over Harambee Stars team selection
The legend has criticized Harambee Stars' squad selection, highlighting exclusion of top local clubs' players for upcoming matches.
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