Kenyan football powerhouses Gor Mahia and FKF Cup champions Kenya Police FC have discovered their preliminary round opponents for the 2024-25 CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup, setting the stage for their continental campaigns.

Gor Mahia vs El Merreikh Bentiu

Record Kenyan champions Gor Mahia will clash with South Sudan’s El Merreikh Bentiu in the Preliminary Qualifying Round of the 2024-25 CAF Champions League. As Gor Mahia makes its 15th appearance in this elite tournament, the club is determined to advance to the Group Stages for the first time. The first leg will take place in South Sudan on the weekend of August 16-18, followed by the return leg in Nairobi on August 23-25. The victor of this tie will face the formidable Al Ahly, Egypt’s reigning champions and 12-time titleholders, in the subsequent round.

Gor Mahia, who reached the quarterfinals in 1969 and 1992 before the introduction of the Group Stage, last competed in the Champions League in the 2020-21 season, suffering a First Round exit against Algerian side Belouizdad. Concurrently, they are participating in the CECAFA Club Championships in Tanzania, where they may encounter El Merreikh Bentiu prior to their Champions League duel.

Kenya Police FC vs. Ethiopian Coffee

Kenya Police FC, celebrating their first-ever FKF Cup title win, will debut in CAF competitions by taking on Ethiopian Coffee in the preliminary qualifying round of the 2024-25 CAF Confederation Cup. According to Interior PS Raymond Omollo, Kenya Police FC and their women’s team, Kenya Police Bullets, need a combined Sh 43 million for comprehensive preparations. The initial leg against Ethiopian Coffee is set for Nairobi on August 16-18, with the return leg in Ethiopia on August 23-25.

Ethiopian Coffee, founded in 1976 and based in Addis Ababa, has a notable history in CAF competitions, including their 1998 feat of eliminating Al Ahly in the Champions League qualifiers. Despite their intermittent appearances, they bring valuable experience to the Confederations Cup, having last competed in the 2022-23 season, where they exited in the First Round.

If Kenya Police FC triumphs over Ethiopian Coffee, they will face Egypt’s Zamalek, the current Confederations Cup champions, in the final qualifying round. Zamalek, with two Confederations Cup titles (2019, 2024) and five Champions League victories, represent a significant challenge.

With 52 clubs vying for the 2024-25 CAF Confederation Cup, Kenya Police FC will be eager to navigate the qualifiers and secure a place among the top 16 teams in the Group Stage.