TACTICAL ANALYSIS: How Al Hilal left massive dent on Kenya Police’s CAF group stage hopes
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Reading Time: 5min | Mon. 20.10.25. | 12:53
Al Hilal had a clear game plan, create numerical superiority, get an early goal and defend lower to see out the game while Kenya Police stuck to their principles of an agressive high press and long balls into the strikers
FKF Premier League champions Kenya Police FC hosted Al-Hilal Omdurman of Sudan at the Ulinzi Sports Complex over the weekend.
The match served as the second round of CAF Champions League, with both sides looking to be in good standing for the group stages.
After a dominant first-half display, Al-Hilal managed to get a 0-1 win.
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In this tactical analysis piece, we try to understand how both sides set up and what gave Al Hilal the first leg win.
Kenya Police FC, under Coach Etienne Ndiyirangije, set up in a 4-1-3-2 formation.
Job Ochieng was in goal. Daniel Sakari and Baraka Badi were the fullbacks with David Okoth and David Ochieng playing at the heart of the defence.
South Sudanese international Charles Ouma anchored the midfield as the single pivot, while Tobias Omondi was flanked by Exauce Misuri and Marvin Nabwire.
Eric Zakayo and Nigerian Samuel Ayarinde completed the formation.
Al Hilal under Romanian tactician Laurentiu Aurelian, set up in a base 4-4-1-1.
Soufiane Farid in goal. Mustafa Mohammed and Ousmane Diouf started at central defence, with Congolese Steven Ebuela at right back and Aprocious Magemano at left back.
The double pivot consisted of; Eldin Salah and Walieldin Daiyeen, with captain Taha Abdelrazig playing just behind striker Sunday Damilare.
Star man Adama Coulibaly and Ernest Luzolo were on the flanks.
Police looked to stuck to their principles, an aggressive high press out of possession.
In possession, they played with low output from goal kick then go direct into the channel runs from the strikers, looking to bypass the midfield.
In instances where the striker did not win the first ball, they dueled for the second ball and sought to progress.
Al Hilal had a clear game plan, and it worked to a tee.
Create numerical superiority, get an early goal, and play on the front foot in the first half, controlling the game in possession.
In the second half, it was about sitting deeper and soaking pressure to protect the result.
Al Hilal looked to build up in a 2-1-4-3 from a goal kick.
The fullbacks pushed really high up, providing the width in this first phase.
The front three moved narrower, looking to play close to each other.
Al Hilal build up
Police looked to counter this by playing in an aggressive 4-3-1-2, with a slight tweak.
Nabwire was tasked with defending more inside the central areas to evade any numerical superiority Al Hilal would look to create.
In their high block, Police looked to cut the pitch in half, restricting Al Hilal to one side, then looking to apply maximum pressure.
Police cutting pitch in half - forcing Al Hilal to one side
This structure forced the Al Hilal backline to go long into towering striker Sunday Damilare.
On winning the second ball, Al Hilal looked to now progress in a settled 3-1 or 3-2 structure.
This now led to their most dangerous plan, to overload the right-hand side and create a box midfield.
Al Hilal right hand side overload
Right back Ebuela was given the freedom to be really attacking. His defensive responsibilities were tasked with right centre back Diouf.
With Ebuela providing width on the right, Coulibaly now looked to operate in the half space.
This tweak saw Al Hilal have a 4v2 other times, a 3v2 when Nabwire did not tuck in.
With Misuri caught in two minds on who to track, majorly being dragged out by Diouf, Sakari found himself in a 2v1s against Ebuela and Coulibaly.
These movements saw Al Hilal generate high-volume chances and completely control the match.
Out of possesion, Al Hilal set up in a 4-4-1-1 block. Taha was tasked with putting pressure on Ouma, who was the sole pivot.
This saw a shift in their high block structure, looking to take up a 3-4-1-2 structure with Coulibaly joining Damilare in the first line, Ebuela pushing up to mark Sakari and Taha on Ouma.
Al Hilal high block
What was interesting in the out of possession phase was Al Hilal's rest attack.
They looked to leave Coulibaly and Damilare up front.
It is the combination of rest attack, half-space manipulation, and pressure on the Police pivot that led to the goal.
Taha put pressure on Ouma, kicking the ball, which found Coulibaly, who beat Okoth to the ball and cut in to slot past Ochieng.
After the goal, Al Hilal now dropped slightly lower but still looked to use the right side as the outlet.
The striker started on the level of Ouma, looking to have as many numbers behind the ball.
Al Hilal midblock- Striker on level of Police pivot
As an answer to conceding, Zakayo tried to find pockets of space in the channels, especially exploiting the Al Hilal left-hand side.
Zakayo drifting into the channel
This saw Nabwire also get more involved in the game, popping up in dangerous areas.
The second half saw coach Ndiyirangije ring some changes, bringing on Edward Omondi and David Okoth for Zakayo and Misuri.
The energy seemed to pin an already lower Al Hilal into an even more low mid-block.
The introduction of Clinton Kinanga and Geoffrey Onyango triggered the need for more crosses.
Al Hilal also looked to refresh their charges El Hadj Kane was introduced into midfield, sitting next to Salah with Jean Claude also coming in for captain Taha.
Al Hilal managed to see out the result but Police will be optimistic after their second half match.
Coach Ndiyirangije will need to pick on the strengths, noting the need to. manage the match out of possession but also have an aggressive aerial threat to be on the end of crosses.
The two teams meet for the second leg in Libya in what will be another intriguing tactical match.
