CAF CC: Nairobi United out to spoil the party for Maniema in Lubumbashi
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 15.02.26. | 10:46
Maniema will treat this fixture as a must win to keep their quarter final hopes alive.
Mozzart Bet Cup defending champions Nairobi United will wrap up their CAF Confederation Cup Group B campaign this season with a clash against DR Congo outfit AS Maniema Union at the TP Mazembe Stadium in Lubumbashi from 1700hrs.
This will be Naibois’ sixth and final Group B match, with plenty at stake, especially for Maniema, who are pushing to secure a place in the last eight.
Ahead of today’s game, Moroccan giants Wydad AC sit top of the group with 12 points and have technically secured a quarter final berth.
Maniema are second with nine points, level with Tanzanian side Azam FC, with the two sides separated only by a two goal difference.
Nairobi United are bottom of the group with zero points, having failed to win any of their five matches and scoring just once in the campaign. Their lone goal was a beauty from Duncan Omalla in their 2-1 home defeat to Azam FC.
Maniema will therefore treat this fixture as a must win to keep their quarter final hopes alive. However, they could still qualify if Azam fail to beat Wydad in Morocco. Should the two teams tie on points, goal difference will be the tie breaker.
For Nairobi United, the focus will be on finishing their historic journey on a high by securing a positive result away from home.
“For us, it is a transition that we are going through. Yes, we are doing all we can to win but we are also cognisant of the achievements we have made,” said head coach Salim Ali during his pre match press conference.
The former Mathare United tactician went on to highlight the significance of their run in the competition.
“Nairobi United is a team that won the cup from the second tier and went ahead to reach the group stage. I think not only in Kenya but also in Africa, no team has won the cup from the second tier, qualified for the Confederation Cup and managed to reach the group stage. That is a big achievement for us,” he remarked.