It is official, Kenya will have a new CAF Champions League representative next season. This is after Gor Mahia lost ground in the race for a top-place finish in the FKF Premier League (FKF-PL) by the June 30th deadline when Football Kenya Federation (FKF) will forward the name of the team that will represent the country in Africa’s premier club competition to CAF.Gor Mahia had a remote chance of winning the slot after their recent resurgence but a draw on Wednesday against Wazito FC and the shocking defeat to Western Stima on Saturday saw them slip out of the race. The contest has now been narrowed down to leaders Tusker FC and second-placed KCB. The two have amassed 44 and 43 points respectively ahead of Wednesday’s league matches.Leaders, Tusker who benefited from KCB’s draw with Kakamega Homeboyz yesterday will be away in Nakuru to play Ulinzi Stars on Wednesday. The military outfit has not lost a league assignment since the league resumed and the Brewers face some herculean task of ending that fine run; they will however be motivated by the fact that Ulinzi drew 0-0 with a struggling Sofapaka on Friday.Tusker last played in the CAF Champions League in 2017 where they got eliminated in the preliminary round after they went down to Mauritian side, AS Port Louis. Ivorian striker Ephraim Guikan who would later join Gor Mahia was Tusker’s tormentor as he scored three goals in the two-legged tie to knock out the Brewers then under Ugandan tactician George ‘Best’ Nsimbe.Kenya’s CAF Champions League representative will be decided on Wednesday. The race has been narrowed down the leaders Tusker FC and KCB FC, a point separates the two teams.Tusker FC will be away to Ulinzi Stars while KCB will host Nzoia Sugar FC.#FKFPL pic.twitter.com/lesNCua5pB— Ole Teya (@Kevin_teya) June 26, 2021 The Bankers on the other hand have an ‘easy’ task on paper. They will be facing a limping Nzoia Sugar at Ruaraka Grounds where a win for them and either a defeat or a draw for Tusker in Nakuru will see the Zedekiah Otieno-led team qualify for continental football for the first time in their history.KCB winger Curtis Wekesa is adamant that they can secure continental football on Wednesday afternoon at Ruaraka Grounds.“I strongly believe we still have a good chance. The league this season has had many twists and turns and we are confident heading into our game against Nzoia Sugar. We will play to win our game and pray that things go our way in the other game. We cannot afford to focus much on what will be going on in Nakuru our concentration should be in our match and let’s see what happens at the end of 90 minutes,” he told Mozzart Sport.Gor still has a chance of qualifying for continental football. They are in the FKF Cup final where they will play rival AFC Leopards next Sunday. They however still have to deal with another hurdle as CAF recently announced that teams with cases of not paying their former players or coaches will not be cleared to participate. Gor and Leopards both have active cases at FIFA and may thus be barred from the CAF Confedration Cup next season.
