CAF Confederation Cup: Nairobi United eye history in first-leg battle against Étoile du Sahel

Nairobi United will this afternoon step onto the Ulinzi Sports Complex pitch to face Tunisia’s Étoile Sportive du Sahel in the CAF Confederation Cup second-round, first-leg encounter, with their eyes firmly fixed on qualifying for the group stage in their debut appearance on the continental stage.

The match was initially scheduled for the Nyayo National Stadium but was moved to the Ulinzi Sports Complex due to national events surrounding the celebrations of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

CAF has also directed that the fixture be played behind closed doors.

The same directive applied to Friday’s CAF Champions League tie between Kenya Police FC and Al Hilal of Sudan.

The last time a Kenyan team reached the CAF Confederation Cup group stage was in 2018, when Gor Mahia overcame South Africa’s now-defunct SuperSport United in the playoff round.

Gor, however, failed to progress beyond the group stage.

Nairobi United advanced to the second round after eliminating Uganda’s NEC FC on the away goals rule following a 3-3 aggregate draw.

They scored twice in Kampala during a 2-2 draw before settling for a 1-1 result in Nairobi. Étoile Sportive du Sahel also came through a tough contest, losing 1-0 away to Sudan’s Al-Ahli Wad Medani before winning 3-0 in the return leg in Tunis.

How table toppers Posta withstood pressure to halt Shabana's unbeaten run

The Kenyan side, who enjoyed strong home support during the preliminary round, will certainly miss their fans today.

Their opponents, Étoile, are seasoned campaigners, having lifted the CAF Confederation Cup twice, in 1997 and 2003, when it was still known as the African Cup Winners’ Cup.

In domestic competition, Nairobi United has made a steady start, winning against Mara Sugar and Kakamega Homeboyz while suffering a single defeat to Bidco United.

In contrast, Étoile is struggling in the Tunisian league, where it sits 12th with two wins, three draws, and four losses from nine matches.

TACTICAL ANALYSIS: How positional rotations earned Kakamega Homeboyz vital win over Bidco

The visiting side has a familiar name in their ranks, former Gor Mahia defender Alphonce Omija, who has travelled with the team but will not feature as he is yet to be registered for the competition. He has, however, been training with the squad ahead of the match.

United head coach Nicholas Muyoti will once again follow the game from the stands as he does not hold a CAF A Licence.

This was also the case in their matches against NEC FC. Speaking ahead of the tie, Muyoti expressed his determination to guide the team to the group stage.

Kenya Sevens explain reason for settling on South Africa for high performance camp

“Going into the second round, we are taking it one match at a time, but our ultimate target is to reach the group stage. Whoever we face, we have to plan well and be ready,” he said.

He also highlighted the importance of securing a positive result at home before traveling for the return leg in Tunis next week.

“We want to prepare knowing that we have what it takes to win. Kenyan teams have not had the best record against North African opponents, but we believe we can change that. Our focus is on getting a convincing result at home and building on it away,” he added.

TACTICAL ANALYSIS: Inside Pamzo's plan that sunk Shabana in grudge match showdown