Nairobi United Boss Pins Maniema Union Defeat on Absence of Key Duo

Nairobi United Technical Director Salim Ali feels the result between his team and Congolese side Maniema Union would have been different if he had two of his key players available.

Naibois lost their second straight CAF Confederation Cup group stage match with Maniema Union handing them a 1-0 defeat at Kasarani Stadium on Sunday, one week after a 3-0 thrashing in the hands of Moroccan giants Wydad Athletic Club.

The FKF Premier League side were second best in the contest with no coherent attacking patterns and were punished in the 66th minute when Mboma Kinda slotted home the lone goal.

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However, Ali feels things would have been different if he had midfielder Brian Mzee and winger Ovella Ochieng.

“For the other players that we had, we are not saying they did not match the others, but of course we really missed Ovella with his speedy runs,” Ali said as quoted by Capital Sports. “We also missed Mzee because of his simplicity and his ability in midfield to create opportunities. But at the end of the day, it’s football.”

However, the former Mathare United and Sofapaka coach feels the tournament is a great learning curve for his players who are tasting continental football in their first season in the Kenyan top flight, crediting some of his young players for holding their own under difficult circumstances.

“We have registered 29 players, and they have to play. Today there is a boy who played his first match in CAF,” he added.

“He has never played in Division One, Division Two, the NSL or the Premier League. Today was his first group-stage match. That’s how we give players opportunities, and they will grow from that,” Ali further said.

Nairobi United are bottom of their group with no points from their first two matches and will be hoping to get back on track against Tanzanian side Azam FC when the competition resumes in January.

Ali and his charges will now shift focus to league matches with their next game being away to Posta Rangers on Friday.