Kenya Police face Somalia side in Caf Champions League preliminaries

Kenya Police, coached by Burundian Etienne Ndayiragije, will face Mogadishu in a two-leg fixture between September 19 and 21, with the return leg match programmed for between September 26 and 28.

The aggregate winner of the match will play either Jamus FC Juba of South Sudan, or Al Hilal of Sudan in the second preliminary round between October 17 and 19 in the first leg, followed by the reverse fixture between October 24 and 26.

The aggregate winner will qualify to play in the group stage from November 21, with the knock-out phase set to start on March 13.

Reacting to the draw, Kenya Police FC coach Ndayiragije yesterday said: “The team is back in training and ready for the competition. The boys are in high spirits and preparing for the assignment ahead. All the players are in camp except captain David Cheche, who is injured.”

“New players are under assessment, and we will release the list of our new signings soon,” the former coach of Tanzania’s national football team added.

After their success in the 2024/25 FKF-PL season, the club offloaded five players - striker David Irushura, midfielders Francis Kahata, Tim Oyando, Duncan Otieno, and Tyson Otieno. Dependable attacking midfielder Mohammed Bajaber also left the club to join Simba SC of Tanzania on a three-year deal.

Police are making their debut in the Caf Champions League.

Last season, the law enforcers were eliminated from the Caf Confederation Cup in the second preliminary round after losing 3-1 on aggregate to Egyptian giants Zamalek Sporting Club. In the first preliminary round of the competition, Police defeated Ethiopia Coffee 1-0 on aggregate.

Record title winners Al Ahly of Egypt and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, both top-ranked sides, have been handed byes to the second preliminary round, where defending champions Pyramids FC of Egypt will face APR of Rwanda.

Elsewhere, Nigeria’s Remo Stars will meet US Zilimadjou of Comoros for the right to play Sundowns, while Zimbabwe’s Simba Bhora will tackle Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs in a tie whose winner will play Botswana’s Gaborone United, and ultimately Tanzania’s Simba SC in the next round.

Zambia’s Power Dynamos begin their campaign in the tournament against Ivorian heavyweights ASEC Mimosas, with the winner of the match qualifying to play the side that triumphs in the meeting between Namibia’s African Stars and Vipers FC of Uganda.

Teams that exit the competition in the first two rounds will, this season, receive USD 100,000 to cover their logistical costs as CAF seeks to encourage more clubs to take part.

In the CAF Confederation Cup, newly promoted FKF-PL side Nairobi United will play Uganda’s National Enterprise Corporation FC in the first preliminary round. A victory would see them face either Al Ahli Madani of Sudan or Étoile Sportive du Sahel of Tunisia for a place in the group phase.