Kigali, Tuesday
Tusker FC coach Julien Mette says Kenyan football has quite some ground to cover to punch at the same level with Africa’s best, noting that his side is taking key lessons from their Cecafa Kagame Cup experience in Kigali ahead of their return to continental football this season.
Kenya’s Cup champions, Tusker FC were overpowered 2-0 by Sudan’s Al Hilal in their opening fixture at the weekend and must bounce back against home side Rayon Sport to remain in contention for the regional title and offer hope as they prepare to represent the country in the CAF Confederation Cup.
The 44-year-old manager who holds a UEFA Pro License and has extensive experience across African football, having coached in Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda, and the Djibouti national team before taking charge of Tusker FC, described his team’s loss to Al Hilal as “cruel,” saying his side wasted many scoring chances while their opponents tucked home the few that came their way.
Mette is trying to blend a premium vintage in Nairobi, but his Tusker FC squad currently tastes more like a flat lager than a fine, structured Cabernet. At least thus far.
Cork Their Defensive Leaks
To survive the Cecafa group stage, the Brewers must urgently stop spilling their chances and find a way to cork their defensive leaks before their entire Kigali campaign turns into vinegar.
“The highest level is cruel. Al Hilal scored two goals but had less opportunities than us – we played well and sometimes the movement and quality of play was amazing, but the finishing was not accurate and we have to improve on that, but this is the most difficult in football and that’s why the strikers cost so much.
Tusker's MozzartBet Cup Final’s two-goal hero Ian Simiyu is taken through the paces during training in Kigali. Coach Julien Mette says Tusker's striking has been below par at the Cecafa Kagame Cup. (Photo / Tusker FC)
“We have new players upfront and it’s difficult for them to play 100 percent of their game physically, mentally – they have to work and learn from their teammates. We have played well, better than expected, and I’m happy with that…defensively also we have been good.
“We played a quarter-finalist Champions League team and the gap is huge from the Kenyan Premier League, looking at Tusker’s recent season – we are still far from that (Champions League quality). But we have competed and challenged them but now if we want to become a winning team we need the winning mentality which is to shoot to score and not shoot at the ‘keeper.
Mette says their opponents on Wednesday, Rayon Sport, are still rebuilding and cannot be judged on their past performances, adding that home ground advantage will boost the home side: “I expect them to be dominant because they are playing at home and in front of their fans. (In their last match) they wanted to get the ball and play to win, but apart from that, I’m just focused on my team.”
Sudan's Al Hilal SC put on an inspirational, historic run during the recently concluded 2025/2026 CAF Champions League, defying immense structural odds caused by the ongoing civil war in Sudan.
Forced to play all their matches outside their homeland, they remarkably advanced all the way to the quarter-finals having kicked off their campaign on neutral ground, comfortably dismissing South Sudan's Jamus FC (1–0 aggregate) before soundly defeating Kenya's Police FC 4–1 on aggregate in the second qualifying phase to reach the group stage.
In March 2026, Al Hilal were matched up against Moroccan powerhouse RS Berkane in the quarter-finals. The first leg ended in a tense 1–1 draw after Abdelraziq Omer scored an early opener. In the return leg hosted at their temporary home in Amahoro Stadium (Kigali, Rwanda), the Sudanese team fell victim to a heartbreaking 93rd-minute winner by Berkane's Munir Chouiar, bowing out 2–1 on aggregate
Tusker's Last Regional Victory
Tusker last won the regional title in 2008 in Dar es Salaam by defeating Uganda's Revenue Authority 2-1 in the final having come from a goal down to equalize through defender Joseph Shikokoti and bag a late winner from Oscar Kadenge. The have previously won the Cecafa title four times in 1988, 1989, 2000 and 2001.
Fresh from rejoining the brewers from Police FC, Tusker fullback and skipper Aboud Omar is equally hopeful that the Kenyan Cup champions will gel in time to make regional impact.
Tusker FC captain Aboud Omar: Football is a game of mistakes and the good thing is we have the time to rectify these mistakes. (Photo / Tusker FC)
“We have learnt a lot from the loss in our first game and it is now time to rectify the mistakes. We had a lot of chances that we didn’t utilize but we shall now maximize on our chances,” the Kenyan international said.
“The players are motivated having known that the first game wasn’t going to be easy, but we lost focus. We have reviewed the videos and saw our mistakes and the strikers are now hungry to score because they feel they let us down, and that a good spirit. Us defenders too feel we should have kept a clean sheet, but football is a game of mistakes and the good thing is we have the time to rectify these mistakes.”
The Cecafa Kagame Cup has, meanwhile, delivered dramatic regional football action, providing a high-stakes pre-season proving ground for East Africa's elite clubs. Running from July 24 to August 7, Kenya’s hopes of ending an 18-year regional title drought rest on the shoulders of Gor Mahia FC and Tusker FC.
Gor Mahia's Rollercoaster Campaign
Gor Mahia lit up the opening night of the tournament at the Amahoro Stadium with a jaw-dropping 5-0 thrashing of Rwandan giants and tournament hosts, APR FC.
Under the tactical guidance of head coach Charles Akonnor, K'Ogalo put on a spectacular masterclass. Newly integrated signings blended perfectly into the squad as goals from Michael Kibwage, Patrick Essombe, Paul Okoth, Lesley Otieno, and Ebenezer Assifuah-Inkoom secured a statement win.
However, the high of that victory was short-lived. In their second Group ‘A’ encounter against Uganda’s Vipers SC at the Kigali Pele Stadium, Akonnor made a bold gamble by making nine changes to his starting lineup.
The reshuffled squad struggled to break down a deeply physical and well-drilled Vipers side. Just as the match seemed destined for a goalless stalemate, a catastrophic lapse in defensive concentration deep into stoppage time allowed Vipers substitute Gusto Mulongo to nod home a dramatic winner.
The 1-0 defeat handed Vipers an automatic semifinal path, leaving Gor Mahia needing a convincing victory in their final group match against Garde Républicaine to advance.
Tusker FC's Uphill Battle
Tusker FC entered Group ‘C’ aiming to build chemistry and fitness ahead of their domestic league and CAF Confederation Cup campaigns. Led by head coach Mette, the Brewers faced an incredibly stern opening test against Sudanese heavyweights Al Hilal SC.
Despite showing highly encouraging spells of possession and a handful of set-piece threats from captain Aboud Omar, Tusker lacked a clinical edge in the final third.
Al Hilal punished the Kenyan side's vulnerabilities, breaking the deadlock in the 29th minute through Kamaradini Mamudu.
Tusker fought gallantly for an equalizer, but a late counter-attack deep in five minutes of added time allowed Salim Adams to seal a 2-0 victory for the Sudanese giants. The opening loss leaves the Brewers with an uphill task in Group ‘C’ as they must secure maximum points in their upcoming fixtures against Rayon Sports and Zanzibar's KVZ SC to survive the preliminary stage.
Summary of Cecafa Kagame Cup Match Results so far:
APR FC 0–5 Gor Mahia (Group A, July 25);
Al Hilal SC 2–0 Tusker FC (Group C, July 26);
Rayon Sports 2–0 KVZ SC (Group C, July 26);
APR FC 3–1 Garde Républicaine (Group A, July 26);
Gor Mahia 0–1 Vipers SC (Group A, July 27)
Remaining Cecafa Kagame Cup Preliminary Round Fixtures:
Tuesday, July 28, 2026 – Garde Républicaine vs. APR FC;
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 – Mogadishu City vs. Singida Black Stars;
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 – Jamus FC vs. Simba SC;
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 – KVZ FC vs. Al Hilal SC;
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 – Tusker FC vs. Rayon Sports;
Friday, July 31, 2026 – Gor Mahia vs. Garde Républicaine FC;
Friday, July 31, 2026 – Vipers SC vs. APR FC;
Saturday, August 1, 2026 – Tusker FC vs. KVZ SC;
Saturday, August 1, 2026 – Rayon Sports vs. Al Hilal SC.
(elias.makori@ymail.com)
