Gor Mahia and Kenya Police face the prospect of playing their continental matches away from Kenya if they make it to the group stages of the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup.
K’Ogalo will take on Egyptian giants Al Ahly in the second preliminary round of the Champions League while Police face Zamalek at the same stage of the Confederation Cup.
Both sides earned a reprieve when Nyayo Stadium was approved to host the preliminary round, meaning both Al Ahly and Zamalek will play in Nairobi this month, but if the Kenyan teams pull off an upset and qualify for the group stage, they will be forced to host their matches out of the country.
This is because Nyanyo Stadium is a Category 2 stadium which means it can only host Champions League and Confederation Cup matches at the preliminary round with group stage and quarter-final action reserved for Category 3 stadiums.
Nyayo still does not meet this criterion, which would also allow them to host Africa Cup of Nations, World Cup and CHAN qualifiers as well as Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and Women’s Champions League finals.
It is the reason Harambee Stars have been forced to host Zimbabwe in Uganda during their 2025 AFCON home qualifier this weekend, following on their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Burundi and Ivory Coast that were hosted in Malawi in June.
Nyayo has been undergoing renovations as the government looks to give it a facelift, same as Karasani Stadium, which has been closed for renovation for most of 2024 with construction work set to complete at the end of the year.
It is an extra headache for the two sides who already have a dauting task against the respective defending champions of the continental competitions.
Al Ahly are the record 12-time winners of the Champions League, and have won the last two in a row, while Zamalek are the holders of the Confederation Cup.
Kenyan teams have traditionally found it tough against North African opponents but there is still hope that they can pull off a positive result at home and mount a spirited challenge away.
