Kenya Police FC faced a tough defeat against Al Hilal, losing 1-0 in the first leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round at the Ulinzi Sports Complex on October 17.
Even though it was a rough loss, this has set the stage for an exciting comeback. Now, Kenya Police needs to pull off a win by a big margin in the return leg to keep their hopes alive for advancing to the group stages.
The game kicked off with Kenya Police showing their attacking skills right away. Winger Erick Zakayo almost scored early on but couldn’t quite find the mark.
Al Hilal quickly pushed back, but the home team’s defense held strong, especially with David Ochieng making a key block. Kenya Police kept the pressure on, and Misuri Exaule came close to scoring as well, getting the fans hyped up despite the eventual save by Al Hilal’s goalkeeper, Soufiane Farid.
Al Hilal got on the board first in the 20th minute when Adama Coulibaly found the net. But instead of letting that bring them down, Kenya Police stepped up their game and created chances to equalize. Tobias Otieno took a powerful shot from distance that showed they weren’t backing down.
In the second half, Coach Étienne Ndayiragije switched things up by bringing in Edward Omondi and David Okoth to boost the attack. Omondi nearly made an impact right away, while Okoth’s header showed they kept pushing for that equalizer.
Although Al Hilal’s coach made his own changes to counteract the momentum, Kenya Police didn’t stop fighting. As the match wound down, they put everything into their final push, with substitutes Clinton Kinanga and Albert Otieno coming close to scoring, showcasing their determination.
When the final whistle blew, Al Hilal celebrated their win, but the journey wasn’t over for Kenya Police. This defeat is a wake-up call and a chance to come back stronger. They’ve got one more shot to turn things around in the return leg, and it’s all about seizing that opportunity.
