Kenya Police FC Coach Anthony Kimani believes his team can reverse their fortunes when they travel to Egypt next week to face Zamalek in the second leg of their CAF Confederation Cup match.The law enforcers struggled to convert chances in front of goal, resulting in a narrow 1-0 loss to the defending champions in a match held at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday.Speaking to the press after the match, Kimani drew inspiration from their first-round campaign, where they secured a 1-0 away victory against Ethiopian Coffee to advance to the second stage.“We have a great chance going to Egypt. Football isn’t decided in the first leg, as we saw against Ethiopian Coffee, where we drew at home but managed to win away,” said the former Ulinzi Stars coach.“I believe in these boys and the way they played today. They have what it takes to win away. We’ve also analyzed our opponents well, and we’re going there with optimism. There’s no losing hope.”Police with mountain to climb after falling to Zamalek at homeKimani added that he would be counting on his players’ disappointment following the first-leg defeat to fuel their motivation when they step onto the pitch in Cairo on Friday.“They’re naturally disappointed, as you would expect, because they gave their best and felt they deserved more from the game. Our task now is to encourage them, plan properly, and use this disappointment as motivation when we go to Egypt. We are now familiar with Zamalek and know their style of play.”Kimani stressed the need for sharper finishing and stronger defence, especially against set pieces, which had been Zamalek’s strength in the first leg.Despite the loss, the former AFC Leopards man expressed pride in his team’s performance, noting that they stuck to their game plan under immense pressure from the Egyptian giants.“We’re proud of the boys. They gave their best and followed the game plan well. We created good scoring opportunities, but unfortunately, we couldn’t capitalize on them,” Kimani said.Talanta’s Jackline Juma creates more history as Tusker capitulate against SharksHe also hinted at a bigger role for Tyson Otieno, who joined Police FC last season from Kariobangi Sharks but has struggled to break into the first team.Otieno, along with Alvin Mangeni, injected fresh energy into the side, and Kimani described them as “impactful players.”“We’ll assess the team thoroughly. Both Otieno and Mangeni made a positive impact, and everyone could see that. We’ll consider starting them when we go to Egypt,” Kimani concluded.##NAJAVA_MECA_8333956##
