Harambee Stars defender offers key advice to Nairobi United ahead of trip to Tunisia
.jpg)
Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 19.10.25. | 20:47
The former Gor Mahia man marked his continental debut for Sahel on Sunday, playing the full 90 minutes in Nairobi
Harambee Stars defender Alphonce Omija has told Nairobi United players to be ready for a different atmosphere when they visit Stade Olympique de Sousse for their CAF Confederation Cup second-round return leg on Sunday, 26 October.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for more news
Omija, 23, sounded the warning bells shortly after seeing his Tunisian side - Étoile Sportive du Sahel - suffer a 2-0 defeat to the FKF Premier League representatives in a behind-closed-doors first-leg contest at Ulinzi Sports Complex on Sunday, 19 October.
Goals either side of the break from Ovella Ochieng and John Otieno gave Nicholas Muyoti’s side a big advantage heading into the decisive away second-leg, in which a draw could secure the continental debutants passage to the competition’s group stages.
That projection, backed by Kenyan teams’ struggles going up North, is however easier said than done.
“I do not know how people welcome visiting teams there,” Omija, who made his continental football debut for Sahel in the Nairobi defeat, said when asked about the prospects of Nairobi United facing hostile reception in the Tunisian city of Sousse.
“The stadiums there are always full, the fans are very passionate - they even travelled and turned up to watch our training on Saturday. The atmosphere [for Nairobi United] is going to be different. Not what they are used to.”
Adding insult to injury, Omija, who played in front of a capacity-filled stadium in Nairobi during this year’s African Nations Championships (CHAN), said: “Even myself I had to get to the atmosphere there.”
The intimidating atmosphere at the 50,000 capacity stadium on one side, Omija believes his side will need to be better to overturn the deficit come the return leg.
Offering a post-mortem to their show at Ulinzi, the former Gor Mahia man said: “When you look at the goals, it might have been that we lost a bit of concentration at the back, and that is something we will work on this week.”
He added: “I do not think we also had so many chances upfront.”
