Harambee Stars ace Joseph Okumu will be keen on helping his side grab the single ticket available to next season’s UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) when they kickstart their participation in the Belgian Conference League playoff matches.The opening round of games for the four team Conference League Group will see, Gent face off against Westerlo on Friday night with Okumu’s side hosting the clash at the Ghelamco Arena.🔵⚪️ 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛𝗗𝗔𝗬 🔵⚪Kick-off Europe Play-Offs ❤️🩹#GNTWES #JPL pic.twitter.com/8D7id3G8re— KAA Gent (@KAAGent) April 28, 2023 With only the top team from the group which includes Gent, Standard Liege, Westerlo and Cercle Brugge being guaranteed the single available slot, Okumu, who has been a mainstay in the Gent defensive line since signing from Swedish side Elfsborg back in 2021, will be keen on leading the team from the back.Gent are coming off an impressive run in the 2022/2023 UEFA Conference League where they reached the quarter finals of the third-tier European competition as West Ham ended their run with a 5-2 aggregate win.In that fixture, Okumu made history by becoming the first Kenyan player to reach the last 8 of the tournament since its inception.##NAJAVA_MECA_7220740##However, the team have to take part in the playoffs after finishing fifth in the regular Belgian season.Speaking ahead of the match, Okumu’s teammate Julien De Sart called on his side to focus on the playoffs with their goal being to earn a place back in the competition, after losing a crucial match against struggling Oostende which saw them miss a chance of featuring in the Championship Group.“With Standard Liege, Cercle and Westerlo we meet three strong teams, as the previous duels with them have already shown. Still, we want to show that we can win those play-offs.Mozzart Bet Cup: Tusker vs KCB pre-match analysisWe lost the final against Ostend, but now we get a second chance. We must seize it, without apologies. We also want to play European football next season. The motivation to enforce that is certainly there,” he said.Gent will feel confident heading into the tie as they are unbeaten in the last thirteen league meetings with Westerlo (W7 D6), a series that goes back to September 2009.The match kicks off at 2145EAT.CAFCL: Can Simba upset Wydad and advance to the semis?
