Kenyan champions have complicated their chances of advancing to the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup after playing CS Sfaxien of Tunisia to a barren draw at the Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday afternoon.The result means that the Ruaraka based club will have to win away in Tunis, a tough hunting territory for Kenyan clubs in the return match slated for next weekend.FULL TIME at the Nyayo National Stadium. The match ends in a barren draw. pic.twitter.com/VOIunqBPVW— 🏆Tusker FC (@tusker_fc) November 28, 2021 Despite reaping a favourable result in Nairobi, Sfaxien boss Giovanni Solinas feels that the task is far from over and will have to put their best feet forward at home.Solinas who admitted to have done thorough homework on each and every Tusker player regretted that they didn’t kiss the back of the net but was optimistic of scoring at home.”It is unfortunate that we did not score from the opportunities we created. The home game will be a little bit tougher but I think we will carry the day. The path to the group stages is clear for both teams, result s from the first leg notwithstanding,” he said.Ibrahim Joshua could have thrown the hosts on the lead in the third minute from a goal mouth melee but his baby shot was blocked by the clustered legs in the box.Jackson Macharia was forced to cut short his goal celebrations in the 14th minute after turning Daniel Sakari’s long throw in into the net but the centre referee booked the dreadlocked midfielder for using his arm to direct the ball past the line.Skipper Eugene Asike demonstrated leadership in the 20th minute as the burly defender bravely stretched to tackle Mohamed Salih in the box after his pair Kalos Kirenge and Hillary Wandera evaded him for fear of conceding a penalty.FT: Tusker 0-0 Sfaxien. The Tunisians understood the assignment. Go away, play like the away team. Unfortunately, we didn’t play like the home team. Lethargic.— Japheth Mutinda (@JaphMutinda) November 28, 2021 Two minutes later, Brian Bwire was called into action for the first time in teh game, palming Aymen Harzi’s ball aimed at beating him to his near post for a corner.Tusker came close again in the 27th minute through the unmarked Ibrahim who rose high to head in a cross delivered by Sakari only for the ball to roll few inches wide.Boniface Muchiri who was lively down in the left wing also sniffed the Sfaxien goal a minute later but his long range shot swayed off target with Mohamed Hedi well beaten.Tanzanian import Kirenge came to the rescue of Tusker with three minutes to the half time whistle, making a last ditch block to deny Sfaxien forward who had left both Wandera and Bwire for the dead.After the Tusker defence cleared the threat, medics from either teams rushed to the pitch to attend to the wailing Wandera who landed akwardly and after treatment that lasted for close to five minutes, he left the pitch on a stretcher.Wandera’s shoes were filled by Kevin Monyi, a natural right back but Sakari’s versatility came in hand as he slotted to the left with the former Western Stima defender manning the opposite flank. Even before the medics could escort Wandera to the waiting ambulance, Tusker doctor was called to attend Muchiri who had been caught late by Naby Camara.Sfaxien made their first change before restart with Mohamed Amine coming in for Chris Kouakau whose first touch nearly yielded an assist after Sakari failed to handle the long clearance that landed on the path of Harzi whose shot was well gathered by Bwire.The visitors engaged an higher gear after resumption as Bwire was among the busiest player early in the half but proved himself equal to the task. However, and perhaps after smelling an away point, the three time champions resorted to time wasting antics that seemingly angered Matano who made known his piece of mind to the fourth official. Sfaxien made double changes in the 69th minute where Hazem Hassen and Chadi Hammani came in for Naby Camara and Fares Neji respectively. Two minutes after the visitors introduced fresh legs, Matano followed suit by throwing in John Njuguna and Teddy Osok for Clyde Senaji and the Shami Kibwana who had a game to forget as the former Homeboyz midfielder struggled to keep possession and carrying the ba forward. Efforts by Tusker to turn the long balls into the net did not bear the desired fruit as the opponents defended resolutely until the final whistle.Tusker XI: Brian Bwire, Daniel Sakari, Hillary Wandera, Kalos Kirenge, Eugene Asike, Clyde Senaji, Humphrey Mieno, Boniface Muchiri, Shami Kibwana, Jackson Macharia, Ibrahim Joshua.Substitutes: Patrick Matasi, Jimmy Mbugua, Kevin Monyi, Teddy Osok, Deogratius Ojok, Charles Momanyi, Emery Mvuyekure, Apollo Otieno.CS Sfaxien XI: Dahmen Aymen, Nasroui Mohamed, Mohamed Salih Ali, Aymen Harzi, Walid Karoui, Alaa Ghram, Houssem Dagdoug, Chris Kouakau, Fares Neji, Mahmoud Ghorbel, Walid Karoui. Substitutes: Mohamed Hedi, Nour Zamen, Ghaith Maaroufi, Jassem Hamdouni, Hazem Hassen, Abdallah Amri, Chadi Hammami, Mohamed Amine,
