Confederation Cup is arguably the second most important football tournament on the African continent after the Cup of Nations, with many fans already gambling on their predictions on sports betting sites.
With the qualification matches out of the way, the Group Matches of CAF Confederation are in full swing.
During that time, most Kenyan fans would want to know which clubs to cheer for and whether some matches will played in Kenya. This year, the Kenyan representatives in the cup are Gor Mahia and Kariobangi Sharks.
With that in mind, it’s important to know how the teams performed so far and how will they play further.
History of Kenyan Clubs in Confederation Cup
It is well known that the most successful clubs in the Confederation Cup history were Tunisian clubs CS Sfaxien and Étoile du Sahel, as well as multiple Moroccan clubs, including the current defending champion – Raja Casablanca.
As to the Kenyan teams, the most prominent club featured in the tournament throughout its history is Gor Mahia.
So far, the celebrated Nairobi club has appeared in the tournament 4 times, most prominently in 2008 and 2012, after going through the first stages and participating in the first round. Apart from that, Gor Mahia has appeared in the Championship in 2013.
For Kariobangi Sharks, this is their debut in the Confederation Cup, which is certainly a breakthrough for such a youth-centric team.
Among the clubs that didn’t end up in the cup this season, but qualified in the previous years are:
- A.F.C. Leopards in 2010;
- Bandari in 2016;
- Sofapaka in 2008 (disqualified), 2011 and 2015;
Confederation Cup 2019 So Far
This year’s tournament is certainly proving to be an interesting one. Even though the Sharks fell through after not getting enough points in the first round, considering the draw and then a loss from Asante Kotoko in two respective matches.
Gor Mahia, however, is still marching forward, switching between second and third places in Group D, after winning Zamalek 4:1, but losing to Petro Atletico 2:1. With 3 points after two matches, they have a shot at moving to Quarter Finals.
Their competent performance in the group stage so far should motivate the team, as they were previously unable to enter the group stage of the CAF Champions League, after the defeat from Lobi Stars at home.
Upcoming Matches
Next Gor Mahia match is against Hussein Dey – the leader of the group, which will take place on Sunday, February 24th.
In the meantime, the approaching match is already attracting bets from Kenyan football fans, as the top sport betting site is getting ready to reveal the odds on the match. This can prove to be a challenge for some bettors, as the rivals will be at each other’s throats.
Seeing the hills and valleys of Gor Mahia’s run in the tournament, it will be difficult to predict the approximate outcome of the nearest matches for the team.
The club’s dynamic within the tournament is rather stable. It is also important to consider the fact that there are matches with other Kenyan teams interspersed between the CAF matches.
The latter, however, is not an issue, as out of 5 last matches (including non-CAF matches), Gor only lost once to already mentioned Petro Atletico.
Therefore, the crucial thing here is to consider the shape of their group mates Hussein Dey, as their fellow Kenyan club Western Stima is unlikely to wear them out. Once the match with the Algerian club is over, the situation of Gor Mahia would be more clear.
