Kenya Police coach Antony Kimani holds head high after brave CAF Confederation Cup exit

Kenya Police coach Anthony Kimani reflects on his team’s spirited performance after their CAF Confederation Cup exit to Zamalek.

Kenya Police FC coach Anthony 'Modo' Kimani has expressed pride in his team despite their 2-1 defeat to Zamalek SC in Cairo which saw them exit the CAF Confederation Cup in the round of 32.

The aggregate score of 3-1 favored the defending champions but Kimani chose to focus on the positives from his side’s debut season in continental football.

The Law Enforcers had hoped to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Nairobi but were ultimately outclassed by the experienced Zamalek side.

Despite the loss, Kimani remained philosophical, emphasizing the valuable lessons his team learned from competing against such a high-caliber opponent.

"I am extremely proud of how my players performed against Zamalek, the defending champions," said Kimani as per Cairo24.

"It has been a long journey for us, but we have gained so much experience from it. Competing at this level was a great learning opportunity, and the boys have shown that they can hold their own against top teams in Africa."

Zamalek came into the second leg with an advantage, having won the first leg 1-0 in Nairobi.

The Egyptian giants controlled much of the match in Cairo, opening the scoring early in the second half when Zizo volleyed home from a counterattack.

Five minutes later, Kenya Police's attempts to play out from the back were punished when Elhamaed pounced on a mistake from skipper Musa Mohammed to double the hosts' lead.

However, Kenya Police did not go down without a fight as they pulled one back in the 65th minute when Aboud Omar’s well-placed free-kick found the head of Were, who nodded home to make it 2-1.

The Kenyan side then had a golden opportunity to equalize in the dying stages of the match, but Tyson Otieno's volley flew over the bar after some brilliant footwork to set up the chance.

Reflecting on the game, Kimani acknowledged that Zamalek’s experience was a decisive factor but maintained that his team had shown commendable spirit and determination.

"Zamalek is a great team with a lot of experience, and we learned a lot from playing against them," Kimani noted.

"We performed well, but we know we could have done better. Unfortunately, we repeated some of the mistakes we made in Nairobi, allowing Zamalek to control large parts of the game. That said, I am proud of the effort we put in."

Kimani also commented on the atmosphere of the game, which was played behind closed doors due to the absence of fans. Despite the lack of a crowd, the Kenya Police coach praised the sporting spirit of the encounter.

"It’s always different when fans aren’t present, but the match was played in a beautiful atmosphere of sportsmanship," Kimani said.

"Had the fans been there, it might have changed things, but we are not ashamed of this loss. We pushed Zamalek and showed that we belong at this level."

Police goalkeeper Patrick Matasi had a busy night,making several crucial saves to deny Zizo and Mostafa Shalaby, while Nabil Aly’s effort from the edge of the area narrowly missed the target.

Though Kenya Police couldn’t find a second goal, Kimani and his coaching partner, Salim Babu, were pleased with their team’s performance.

In their debut CAF Confederation Cup campaign, Kenya Police can hold their heads high.

The team’s ability to compete against one of Africa’s footballing powerhouses offers hope for future participation in continental tournaments.

As Kimani and his players return to domestic action they will undoubtedly take the lessons from this experience to build a stronger side for the future.

"We are going home with our heads held high. This is only the beginning for us," Kimani concluded.