From North Africa to East and Central Africa, Nairobi United’s whirlwind continental tour ended with harsh but valuable experience, which they hope to capitalise on in their pursuit of domestic success.
In their first appearance in the Caf Confederation Cup, Nairobi United’s campaign came to an end on Sunday with a 3-0 defeat to Association Sportive Maniema Union of the DR Congo at the Stade TP Mazembe in Lubumbashi.
Having failed to win any of their six Group B matches and managing to score just one goal, the ‘Naibois’ finished bottom of the pool.
Wydad Casablanca fans light flares as they rally behind their team against Nairobi United in a Caf Confederations Cup match at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on February 8, 2026.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Morocco’s Wydad Athletic Club and Maniema progressed to quarter-finals, having topped the group with 15 and 12 points respectively. Tanzania’s Azam FC finished third with nine points.
Despite their poor performance, Naibois are pleased with their debut campaign in Caf inter-club competitions. They have become only the second Kenyan team, after Gor Mahia in 2019, to reach the group stage of the event.
“Post-group stage 2026 CAF rankings place Nairobi United at 59th in Africa, reflecting their debut status at this level,” the club said in a statement.
By beating Gor 2-1 in last season’s domestic cup final (the Mozzart Bet Cup), Nairobi qualified for the Confederation Cup and exceeded expectations by reaching the group stage.
Nairobi United players celebrate with Mozzart Bet Cup trophy after beating Gor Mahia 2-1 in the final at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi on June 29, 2025.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
‘Naibois’ began their continental campaign with a hard-fought 2–2 draw against Uganda’s National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) at the Hamza Stadium in Kampala on September 20 last year.
After the teams drew 1-1 in the return match at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi a week later, Nairobi United progressed to the second preliminary round on the away goals rule.
Upsetting Tunisian giants
It was at this stage that Nairobi United shocked many by upsetting Tunisian giants Etoile Sportive du Sahel to reach the group stage.
After Sportive equalised to make it 2-2 on aggregate, erasing Nairobi’s 2-0 win in the first leg at Nyayo Stadium, Naibois won 7-6 on penalties at the Sousse Olympic Stadium in Tunisia. However, they lost all their matches in the group stage. Duncan Omala scored their only goal at this stage.
Nairobi United's Brian Omondi (right) charges forward with the ball during their CAF Confederation Cup second round match against Tunisia's Étoile du Sahel in Tunis on October 27, 2025.
Photo credit: Pool
They went down 4-0 on aggregate against Wydad – 3-0 at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco, and 1-0 at Kasarani.
Nairobi United lost 1-0 to Maniema at Kasarani, and lost 3-1 on aggregate to Azam – 2-1 at Nyayo and 1-0 at Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
Nairobi United noted that they were at a disadvantage due to their opponents’ 'years of continental experience, established technical teams and institutional continuity’.
Unlike their rivals, no Nairobi United player had played in the CAF interclub competition before this season.
Speaking after their first-leg loss to Azam at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi’s interim coach, Salim Ali, attributed their struggles to a lack of continental experience.
“During the match, you could see the difference between experience and inexperience,” he said.
Nairobi United head coach Salim Ali conducts a training session at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on January 24, 2026.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Throughout the group campaign, Ali complained about lapses in concentration by his players and their failure to capitalise on the chances they created.
In their statement, Nairobi also cited being forced to make a coaching change midway through the competition as a factor in their poor performance.
Coach Nicholas Muyoti, who guided the team to the Confederation Cup and was in charge of the matches against NEC, as well as the first-leg encounters against Sportive Maniema and Wydad, resigned in mid-January. Ali handled the team for the remaining matches.
“Furthermore, a mid-campaign coaching change added instability at a crucial point, compounding challenges on the field,” the statement said.
Kevin Otiende (centre) of Nairobi United dribbles past Nuru Twalib and Lusajo Mwaikenda of Azam during a Caf Confederation Cup group match at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on January 25, 2026.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
“While the results may have been inconsistent, the campaign offered invaluable lessons in logistics, mental resilience, recovery management and squad rotation — experience that will pay off in both domestic and future continental competitions,” it added.
Currently sitting in 10th place with 25 points in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) standings, Nairobi are confident of challenging for the title, boosted by their continental experience and three matches in hand. They are also seeking to defend their MozzartBet Cup title.
“The combination of lessons learned in Africa, strategic leverage in the league and a squad increasingly accustomed to high-pressure scenarios positions Nairobi United as a remarkable success story and a serious contender for domestic glory,” said the club.
