CAF Champions League: Coach Admits Major Weakness Kenya Police Must Fix Before Al Hilal Clash

Kenya Premier League champions Police FC advanced to the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League on away goals, despite a surprising 2-0 loss to Somalia's Mogadishu City Club in the return leg at Nyayo Stadium on Sunday.

Holding a 3-1 advantage from the first leg, Kenya Police FC were strong favourites to progress. However, their place in the next round hung in the balance until the final whistle of a tense encounter.

Mogadishu deservedly took the lead in the 34th minute when Issa Yusuf latched onto a looping ball and beat goalkeeper Khadime Ndiaye. The Somalian champions went into halftime with a 1-0 lead, putting pressure on the home side.

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In an attempt to regain control, Kenya Police coach Etienne Ndariyagije made a triple substitution at the start of the second half, bringing on Edward Omondi, David Okoth, and Eusters Chasara for Erick Zakayo, Alvin Mang’eni, and David Simiyu.

The changes failed to halt Mogadishu's momentum. The visitors doubled their lead in the 54th minute from the penalty spot after Joash Onyango fouled Abdikadir Enow, who was clear on goal. Ibrahim Bungura stepped up and coolly sent Ndiaye the wrong way.

With the score at 2-0, Mogadishu needed just one more goal to secure a stunning comeback. They relentlessly attacked the Police goal but were unable to break down a resilient defence for a third time.

The Burundian coach admitted that his team's attacking efforts were undermined by poor execution in the final third, which Mogadishu exploited on the counter-attack.

"We had a very big problem with our final pass. We progressed well in the build-up, but our passes went astray in their danger zone. We lost the ball unexpectedly, especially when we were in a position to score," Ndariyagije told Flashscore.

"It broke our rhythm and created problems in transition because we had to track back after losing possession. We couldn't manage it on two occasions, and we got punished. Our opponents knew that if we pushed forward, they had players ready to launch counter-attacks."

Despite the loss, the coach praised his team for holding on and pushing forward to score. He noted that the players protected the advantage they gained from the first leg, which helped them qualify for the next round.

Kenya Police FC will need a much-improved performance when they face Sudanese champions Al Hilal S.C. in the second preliminary round for a chance to reach the group stages.

In other continental action, Nairobi United also progressed to the second round. They secured a 1-1 draw against Uganda's National Enterprises Corporation (NEC FC) at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday.

The newly-promoted FKF Premier League side advanced on the away goals rule after the aggregate score was tied 3-3, following a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Uganda.

Nairobi United will now face Tunisian giants Étoile Sportive du Sahel. The first leg is scheduled for October 17 in Nairobi, with the return leg in Tunis on October 24.