Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier has voiced his frustration over the repeated pairing of East African teams against North African powerhouses in the early stages of CAF inter-club competitions.
Speaking ahead of K’Ogalo’s upcoming clash against Al Ahly on Sunday in the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League, Rachier questioned why Kenyan clubs always face such strong opposition so early in the tournament.
K’Ogalo is preparing to meet the 12-time CAF Champions League winners, Al Ahly, in a daunting match, as the Kenyan champions aim to advance further in the competition.
Similarly, Kenya Police are set to play another Egyptian giant, Zamalek, at the same stage in the CAF Confederation Cup, and it seems Kenyan teams have minimal chances of progressing to the lucrative group stages.
Once again, Kenyan teams find themselves up against North African sides in the early phases of the competition. Rachier is baffled as to why this has become a regular occurrence, particularly when Kenyan clubs are still developing in comparison to their North African counterparts.
“It’s something that continues to confuse me, we are knocked out early. If I recall, during my 16 years as chairman, we have been eliminated mostly by North African sides,” Rachier stated on Passion Sports.
“Whether it’s Zamalek, Al Ahly, or Esperance, we are constantly facing Egyptian teams and being knocked out in the first or second preliminary rounds of the tournament by these North African sides.”
Rachier suggests that CAF should reconsider how the tournament draws are conducted to give less established teams a fairer chance of reaching at least the group stages.
“Instead of eliminating us early, they could intentionally have the smaller teams face off against one another first,” he proposed. “If we were to compete against teams from Uganda, Tanzania, or Congo, we might reach the group stages, which would provide financial support to help our clubs grow.”
“We shouldn’t be seen as equals because our football development levels are vastly different. There should be a system where the lesser teams compete amongst themselves, allowing the giants to battle each other. This would give the smaller teams a better chance to advance, eventually improving their standards,” he added.
