Nicholas Muyoti Confirms Major Blow as Harambee Stars Defender Ruled Out of CAF Confederation Cup Opener

Nairobi United coach Nicholas Muyoti has revealed Manzur Okwaro will not be part of the squad facing Wydad AC (Morocco) in the CAF Confederation Cup group stage campaign.

Manzur Okwaro joined the FKF Cup champions shortly after the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), but he has yet to make his club debut, even though he has already featured multiple times for Harambee Stars in the World Cup qualifiers.

Nicholas Muyoti had earlier explained that Manzur Okwaro was injured and continuing to play deepened the degree of the injury, with his recovery time set to take a little bit longer.

“Manzur is currently under medication. He has a knee injury, which is being taken care of by our doctor. He has been earning call-ups to the national team, and the coach has been using him, which is a big risk. He also played the last time he got a call-up, which made the injury recur,” Muyoti explained.

Speaking in an interview ahead of the CAF Confederation Cup group stage match against Wydad AC, the former Kakamega Homeboyz coach confirmed that Manzur Okwaro will miss it as he is still undergoing rehabilitation.

He noted that the defender, who has been sidelined since his arrival, has not recovered in time to join the squad. Nicholas Muyoti added that apart from Manzur Okwaro, the rest of the squad remains fit and ready for selection ahead of the tournament.

“Of course, we still have Manzur, who has been out since he came. He's not been part of the team, and we wish him a quick recovery. No other serious injuries. Of course, the rest of the players are okay and ready for selection,” he shared.

Nicholas Muyoti further acknowledged that the CAF Confederation Cup group stage will be extremely challenging, noting that their opponents are all seasoned sides with significant experience at this level.

He said he fully expects a difficult campaign but emphasised that his team is equally prepared for the challenge, highlighting the players’ strong physical and mental readiness.

Nicholas Muyoti maintained that although the group is tough, Nairobi United will also be tough and fully up to the task.

“Of course, it's not an easy group. We have AS Maniema Union, Wydad and Azam; they are seasoned teams, and we're not going to expect that it's going to be easy,” he said.

“It's going to be tough, but we are also tough, and I'm happy that our players are ready, physically and mentally; they're ready to challenge anything. I’m expecting it to be tough, but we are also going to be tough, and we are going to be up to the task.”

Nairobi United will begin their historic CAF Confederation Cup group stage campaign with a challenging away match against Moroccan giants Wydad AC on Sunday, November 23, 2025, at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca.

They will then play their first-ever continental group stage home fixture a week later against AS Maniema Union on November 30, 2025.