Tusker will be banking on home advantage when they host Sudanese side Al Ahli Wad Madani in the return leg of the CAF Confederation Cup first preliminary round at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on Saturday from 3pm.
The game is finely poised at 2-2, and the brewers will be aware they can go through by preventing Al Ahli from finding the net in Nairobi thanks to the away goal rule
Tusker coach Julien Mette has urged fans to turn up in large numbers, saying their support could prove crucial.
“Playing at home comes with advantages. We won the Super Cup here on the same pitch; we have the feeling of being at home. It will be an advantage if people come and support us,” said the French tactician before the team’s official training session at the Nyayo venue on Friday.
Advance match tickets can be bought via langopass.com, with VIP tickets priced at Sh1,000 and regular tickets at Sh200.
Mette admitted his players failed to manage the game effectively after establishing a two-goal cushion in the first leg in Kigali.
“We started well but conceded two goals in the second half. It is about mentality and lack of experience in such tournaments. We have young players, while some of the older players are experiencing this kind of tournament late in their careers,” he said.
“How do you manage a game when you are 2-0 up and it ends 2-2? We avoided conceding a third goal. Our game management was not good, but 2-2 is not a bad result. However, we want to score goals.”
In the first leg match, Nigerian striker Victor Mbaoma gave Tusker the perfect start when he converted a penalty in the 11th minute before adding his second in first half stoppage time.
The brace took Mbaoma’s tally to three goals in five competitive matches since joining Tusker from Rwandan side APR FC this season.
Tusker FC defender Doumbia Aboubacar (left) battles for the ball with an Al Ahli Wad Madani player during the first leg of the Caf Confederation Cup first preliminary round fixture at Kigali Pele Stadium in Rwanda on September 6, 2026.
Photo credit: Pool
Mette said the team had analysed the first leg through video sessions and identified areas that needed improvement.
“We know where we need to improve. We will see what the players have learned,” he said.
The coach also confirmed that defender Warsama Hassan Houssein, who has been sidelined for almost six weeks, will return to the squad but is expected to start from the bench.
“We have a full squad save for third choice keeper John Mark Otieno, who is injured,” said Mette.
The Tusker coach is hoping to give Kenyan fans something to celebrate following Gor Mahia’s 2-0 home defeat by Egyptian side Pyramids in the CAF Champions League at Nyayo last Sunday.
“We want to make Kenyan fans happy. The last CAF match played at Nyayo by Gor Mahia ended in their defeat against Pyramids. If we can give them a victory in an African competition, it will be good for the fans. For us, we want to win and make history at home,” said Mette.
Tusker captain Aboud Omar, who joined the club from 2024 Kenyan Premier League champion Police this season, said the players had learned from their first leg mistakes and were ready to deliver at home.
“It was a difficult game away from home. We learned our lessons, and on Saturday we will give our best and win. We have the advantage, and I believe we will put in a good performance,” said Omar.
“We are all happy. The mood in camp has been good and we are motivated,” he added.
The aggregate winner will advance to the second preliminary round, where winners will progress to the group stage.
They were eliminated in the second preliminary round 5-0 on aggregate to Egyptian giants Zamalek before dropping to the Confederation Cup, where they suffered a 1-0 aggregate defeat by Tunisia’s Club Sportif Sfaxien.
Tusker’s best performance in continental competition came in 1994 when, under their former name Kenya Breweries, they reached the final of the Africa Cup Winners’ Cup. They lost 5-2 on aggregate to DR Congo’s Motema Pembe.
