Kenya Police FC Coach Commends His Team Despite 2-1 Defeat

Kenya Police FC head coach Anthony ‘Modo’ Kimani has expressed pride in his team’s performance after their 2-1 loss to Zamalek SC in Cairo on Sunday, which led to their exit from the CAF Confederation Cup in the round of 32.

Despite the defeat, Kimani chose to focus on the positives from their debut season in continental football, highlighting the valuable experience gained by his players.

The Law Enforcers entered the match aiming to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Nairobi, but were ultimately outmaneuvered by the more experienced Zamalek side.

Despite the setback, Kimani remained optimistic, noting the crucial lessons learned from competing against a high-level opponent like Zamalek.

“I am extremely proud of how my players performed against Zamalek, the defending champions,” Kimani told Cairo24.

“It has been a long journey for us, but we have gained so much experience from it. Competing at this level was a great learning opportunity, and the boys have shown that they can hold their own against top teams in Africa.”

Zamalek entered the second leg with a slight advantage after securing a 1-0 victory in Nairobi.

The Egyptian giants dominated large portions of the match in Cairo, breaking the deadlock early in the second half when Zizo fired home a volley from a counterattack.

Just five minutes later, Kenya Police’s efforts to build from the back were thwarted when Elhamaed capitalized on a mistake by captain Musa Mohammed to double Zamalek’s lead.

However, Kenya Police refused to back down and pulled a goal back in the 65th minute when Aboud Omar’s precise free-kick connected with the head of Were, who nodded in to make it 2-1.

Kenya Police nearly equalized in the closing moments of the match, but Tyson Otieno’s volley, set up by some brilliant footwork, sailed over the crossbar.

Reflecting on the contest, Kimani acknowledged that Zamalek’s experience played a key role but commended his team’s resilience and fighting spirit.

“Zamalek is a great team with a lot of experience, and we learned a lot from playing against them,” Kimani remarked.

“We performed well, but we know we could have done better. Unfortunately, we repeated some of the mistakes we made in Nairobi, allowing Zamalek to control large parts of the game. That said, I am proud of the effort we put in.”

Kimani also touched on the atmosphere during the game, which was played without fans in attendance. Despite the absence of a crowd, the Kenya Police coach praised the competitive spirit displayed by both sides.

“It’s always different when fans aren’t present, but the match was played in a beautiful atmosphere of sportsmanship,” Kimani said.

“Had the fans been there, it might have changed things, but we are not ashamed of this loss. We pushed Zamalek and showed that we belong at this level.”

Police goalkeeper Patrick Matasi had a busy night, making several vital saves to keep out attempts from Zizo and Mostafa Shalaby, while Nabil Aly’s long-range effort narrowly missed the target.

Although Kenya Police was unable to find a second goal, Kimani and his assistant coach, Salim Babu, expressed satisfaction with the team’s overall performance.

In their inaugural CAF Confederation Cup campaign, Kenya Police FC can take pride in their ability to compete against one of Africa’s football powerhouses, offering hope for future appearances in continental competitions.

As Kimani and his squad shift their focus back to domestic action, they are sure to draw on the lessons learned from this experience to strengthen the team moving forward.

“We are going home with our heads held high. This is only the beginning for us,” Kimani concluded.