Kenyan league champions Tusker FC omitted from CAF Champions League

Reigning Football Kenya Federation Premier League champions Tusker FC will not take any part in the upcoming 2022/2023 CAF Champions League tournament.

This is after the club was officially omitted from the list of teams set to take part in this season’s continental tourney.

While the decision was almost expected, owing to the FIFA suspension the country is currently serving, the official confirmation comes as a deathly blow to the Brewers who had held the slimmest hopes of being allowed to play on the continental stage after lifting their 13th crown in the 2021/2022 campaign.

Back in March 2022, world football governing body FIFA ratified their decision to suspend Kenya due to what they termed as the third party interference following the government’s decision to disband the recognized Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and replacing it by a Caretaker Committee back in November 2021.

"The FIFA council suspended Kenya on February 24th with immediate effect due to third party interference in particular the takeover of football by a Caretaker Committee appointment by the government which is a serious violation of the FIFA statues.

It is therefore recommended that the Congress confirms the suspension of the Football Kenya Federation enabling the council to lift the suspension immediately and as soon as the pertinent requirements have been fulfilled," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino after 198 members voted in favour of Kenya being suspended as only one opposed.

Tusker were hoping to make it back to back appearances on the continental stage as they participated in the 2021/2022 Champions League campaign. They beat Djibouti’s AS Arta Solar 7 in the first preliminary round (4-1 aggregate) but could not go past the second round as Egyptian giants handed them a 5-0 thumping on aggregate.

They were dropped to the CAF Confederation Playoff Round but they lost 1-0 on aggregate against Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien.

The teams who have qualified for this season’s competition will find out their first round opponents on Tuesday when CAF conduct the draw in Cairo, Egypt.

CAF Interclub competitions Preliminary Rounds draw set for Monday

Qualified CAFCL Teams

Algeria – CR Beouizdad, JS Kabylie

Angola – Atlético Petróleos de Luanda, CD Primeiro Agosto

Benin – Coton Sport Benin

Botswana – Gaborone United

Burkina Faso – Rail Club du Kadiogo

Burundi – Flambeau du Centre

Cameroon – Coton Sport

Central Africa – Olympic Real de Bangui

Chad – Elect Sport

Comoros – Volcan Club de Moroni

Congo – AS Otoho

CIV – Asec Mimosas

Djibouti – Arta Solar 7

DR Congo – TP Mazembe, AS Vita Club

Egypt – Zamalek, Al Ahly

Eq Guinea – Club Deportivo Mongomo

Eswatini – Royal Leopards

Ethiopia – St. George

Gabon – ASO Stade Mandji

Gambia – Hawks

Ghana – Asante Kotoko

Guinea – Horoya, Super Olymien

Lesotho – Matlama

Liberia – Watanga

Libya – Al Ittihad, Al Ahli Tripoli

Madagascar - CFFA