The Kakamega Homeboyz FC vs Al Hilal SC Benghazi tie will take centre stage Saturday afternoon as the home boys kick off their maiden CAF Confederations Cup campaign.
The Kenyan side will host the Libyan Cup champions at the Nyayo Stadium. Kakamega is in the competition courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Tusker in the FKF Cup.
The choice of Nyayo National Stadium for the Kakamega Homeboyz FC vs Al Hilal SC Benghazi was because they did not have a CAF-certified football arena.
There were fears that Kakamega could play their home matches in Tanzania, but it is a relief for the home side, who are playing their first continental tournament.
What should we expect from the Kakamega Homeboyz FC vs Al Hilal SC Benghazi tie? The home side may be greenhorns in the competition, but they intend to make the best of the opportunity.
With the FKF Premier League kicking off next weekend, Kakamega had a little warm-up against the league champions Gor Mahia in the FKF Charity Shield Cup. They gave a good impression of themselves, drawing the game 1-1, but eventually lost out on penalties.
The head coach of Kakamega, Patrick Odhiambo, is unfazed about the credentials of the opposition and sees the Kakamega Homeboyz FC vs Al Hilal SC Benghazi as a defining moment for the club.
Plenty will rest on his star midfielder Kevin Amwayi who has grown in leaps and bounds to deliver a massive victory for the club.
Egyptian manager Mohamed Ouda is taking this game in his stride. He has lamented the lack of matches by his side as the Libyan Premier League is yet to kick off. He said Kakamega had an advantage after playing a competitive match. However, he was confident his team would get something from the game.
Kakamega Homeboyz vs Al Hilal SC Benghazi probable lineups
Kakamega Homehoyz
Farouk Shikalo, Eric Ambunya, Moses Mudavadi, Brian Eshihanda, Brian Wekesa, Eshye Estone, Moses Shummah, Robinson Kamura, Ambrose Sifuna, Kevin Amwayi, Hilary Otieno
Al Hilal SC Benghazi
We could not get you the probable lineups for the team, but here is the full squad to take on Kakamega.
Goalkeeper: Hossam Enbiya
Defenders: Hamed El-Thalba, Muad Alamami, Ahmed Huwaydi, Idrees Aldharrat, Bashier Alkarami Aboubakr Meeld
Midfielders: MMoataz Billah-Al Migrahi, Fabrice Doumbia, Sanad Al ShoshanFaisal Al-Badri, Mohammed Altawirghi, Osama Belaid, Abdulsalam Dega, Ezzeddin Amer Faraj El Maremi, Ahmed
Forward: Saad Al-Shelabi, Amer Al Tawergi, Khaled Magdi, Kelvin Andoh, Muttasem Ballah El Taib Abdelkader Ghorab, Benson Shilongo, Akram Zaway, Ifeanyi Eze
Kakamega Homeboyz vs Al Hilal SC predictions
Prediction 1: Kakamega win
Kakamega Homeboyz trained on Friday ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup first preliminary round against Al Hilal.
Game set for Saturday 3 pm at Nyayo Stadium.#CAFCC #AfricanFootball pic.twitter.com/WFlYB7No63— Eric Njiru (@EricNjiiru) August 18, 2023
In Africa, the home team always brings plenty to bear to ensure victory. The Kakamega Homeboyz FC vs Al Hilal SC Benghazi tie will be no different. Kakamega will leave no stone unturned to secure a win ahead of the return leg. Kakamega has the disadvantage of not playing on their home turf, but national pride should be enough to galvanise them to victory.
Prediction 2: Under 3.5 odds
Both sides are not high-scoring sides. Kakamega needs a massive victory to take to Libya, but Al Hilal should deploy a heavy defensive formation and hope to hit the home lads on the counter. Kakamega would find the Libyans a hard nut to crack but should secure a win.
Score prediction: 2-1
Kakamega Homeboyz recent form
Kakamega has been in good form recently. They have played two finals in their last five games. They beat Tusker 1-0 in the FKF Cup final and lost the FKF Charity Shield Cup to Gor Mahia via penalties. They have won two, drawn two and lost one of their last five games.
Al Hilal SC Benghazi recent form
Al Hilal have not played any competitive game since the conclusion of their Championship. In the five-game tournament, they managed one win – a 1-0 victory over Al Nasr on the final day. It was enough to see them finish third on the log and qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup.
They won one, drew three and were 2-1 losers to Al Ahly Benghazi.
Where to watch Kakamega Homeboyz vs Al Hilal SC Benghazi
CAF has issued the TV rights of the CAF Confederation Cup for the Sub-Saharan region to three distributing channels. It is unclear whether they will air the Kasamaga Homeboyz FC vs Al Hilal SC Benghazi tie.
The broadcasters are:
- Canal+
- SuperSport
- Startimes
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago