- Kenya Police FC will take on Al Hilal Omdurman in the second leg of the final preliminary round of the CAF Champions League 2025/26.
- The match is scheduled for Friday, October 24, at the Benina Martyrs Stadium in Libya.
- Kick-off is set for 7:00 PM EAT.
Reigning SportPesa League champions Kenya Police FC face a formidable challenge on Friday, October 24 when they confront Sudanese giants Al Hilal Omdurman in a crucial second leg match of the Final Preliminary Round of the 25/26 CAF Champions League.
The highly anticipated clash is scheduled for the Benina Martyrs Stadium in Libya, kicking off at 7.00 PM EAT.
The law enforcers were unable to capitalize on the first leg staged behind closed doors at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi, leaving them with a mountain to climb as they seek to make history.
A first-half strike by Adama Coulibali saw the Sudanese record champions secure a crucial away goal, placing them on the cusp of the CAF Champions League group stage.
The onerous task now falls upon coach Etienne Ndayiragije’s squad, who require victory by a two-goal margin to overcome the deficit and advance to the group stage.
Kenya Police are making their maiden appearance in the CAF Champions League, and overturning this result to make it to the group stage would be a historic achievement not only for the club but also Kenyan football.
They previously represented the country in last season’s CAF Confederation Cup but were eliminated in the final round.
Etienne confident of maintaining Kenya Police CAF Champions League dream
Despite the narrow defeat last Friday, the Burundian tactician remains optimistic about the return leg. He stated that his team dominated the match but were simply unfortunate in front of goal.
“I think we dominated the entire match well apart from some lapses. We managed to control the game, so I will just take this match as the first half, and I believe the second half (second leg) will be better on our side,” Ndayiragije explained.
“We squandered some clear chances, but we just need to be patient. If we continue with the same morale, we will get the positive result.”
Al Hilal remain wary of Kenya Police threat
Meanwhile, Al Hilal head coach Laurentiu Reghecampf stated that despite holding the away goal advantage, they are taking nothing for granted, acknowledging that anything can happen in football.
Scoring away was very important for us, and now the second game is coming. But we are not getting ahead of ourselves because everything is possible,” Reghecampf said.
Kenya Police had a similar experience in the first preliminary round, where they won the first away leg 3-1 before losing 2-0 to Mogadishu City Club. Therefore, I think we need to be cautious and prepare thoroughly for the upcoming match.”
Kenya Police vs Al Hilal CAF Champions League betting tips
This will be only the second-ever meeting between these two sides, making it a fixture where each will be eager to establish dominance.
In their recent five matches across all competitions, Kenya Police have lost just once, securing three wins and one draw.
Al Hilal’s form mirrors this, with just one loss in their last five outings, accompanied by three wins and a draw.
Therefore, this is expected to be a fiercely contested and highly competitive match.
Al Hilal will be aiming to finish the job, while Police require nothing less than a victory with a superior scoreline to negate Al Hilal’s away goal advantage.