Kenya’s representatives to the CAF Champions League Tusker FC have been rocked by injuries and illness barely two weeks before their crunch match against five-time African winners of the competition Zamalek in Nairobi.The twelve-time Kenyan champions are sweating over unavailability of key players that already caused them great embarrassment in the opening day of the league as a very tame AFC Leopards bossed and took away three vital points from the defending champions.To imagine that Tusker will face African powerhouse Zamalek with their depleted squad sends shudders in the Ruaraka boiler room.Preliminary round Fixtures of some of the 10 seeded Teams in the CAF Champions League are set as at todayGendarmerie Nationale🇳🇪 🆚 Al Ahly🇪🇬Stade Malien🇲🇱 🆚 Horoya🇬🇳Amazulu🇿🇦 🆚 T. P. Mazembe🇨🇩Jwaneng Galaxy🇧🇼 🆚 Simba🇹🇿Tusker FC🇰🇪 🆚 Zamalek🇪🇬 #CAFCL— Thunder Stone (@stonefayol2) September 18, 2021 The injured players include dependable goalkeeper Emery Mvuyekure, the two strikers in the team’s roster Deogratius Ojok and Joshua Ibrahim, midfield enforcer Teddy Osok, sole left-back in the team, Hillary Wandera, defenders, Wellington Ochieng, and Charles Momanyi.It renders the club weakened in every department and thus dealing their CAF Champions League dreams a deathly blow. In the absence of Mvuyekure in goal the brewers can call on Patrick Matasi and Brian Bwire.Matasi’s fitness is very much in doubt after missing a huge chunk of his last season in Ethiopia before getting into a grisly road accident in June. His last competitive appearance was early in 2020. Most CAF Champions League Trophies by club 🏆🌍🇪🇬 Al Ahly – 10🇨🇩 TP Mazembe – 5🇪🇬 Zamalek – 5🇹🇳 Esperance – 4🇨🇲 Canon Yaounde – 3🇬🇳 Hafia -3🇲🇦 Raja Casablanca – 2🇬🇭 Asante Kotoko – 2….🇬🇭 Hearts of Oak – 1🇬🇭 Ghana’s last CAF CL final appearance was in 2000. pic.twitter.com/vyCfaOia9f— Owuraku Ampofo (@_owurakuampofo) July 18, 2021 Bwire on the other hand is quite young and without requisite experience but is most likely to be deployed between the sticks having made the audacious move to dump Kariobangi Sharks to join the brewers. Tusker made it to the first round after seeing off Djiboutian side, Arta Solar7 in the preliminary round and they now face one of the most successful teams in the first round with a group stage ticket at stake. Tusker’s preparations have however been hindered by injuries to key players ahead of the game against the Egyptian side. The absence of key players played a part in their shocking defeat to AFC Leopards on Sunday.📸| Tough outing on the road yesterday, but we regroup and re-strategize to bounce back better.#KenyaMilele #Brewers4Life pic.twitter.com/M6ecNlnnnB— 🏆Tusker FC (@tusker_fc) September 27, 2021 After going down to Leopards, coach Robert Matano said he hopes to have Ojok and Ibrahim back as soon as possible after his team missed easy chances including a penalty.”I am focusing on the recovery of my strikers in the two weeks break. Nothing else. Once they recover we are good to go. We still attacked even in their absence and that means we are okay. Striking is the main issue, I cannot complain about the entire team but we will rectify,” he said.“Maybe in 10 days to come they will have come back and we will go back to where we belong because the injuries have really cost us. Muchiri played as a striker, he is not a strike. Shami played as a striker, he is not a striker. We are focusing ahead and I am sure that we will bounce back,”.##NAJAVA_MECA_5856839##Despite signing over ten players during the off-season window, the Brewers are keen on strengthening the team further with the left-back position, defensive midfield and attack their area of priority.
