Kakamega Homeboyz showed their inexperience at the continental stage after receiving a 4-1 beating to Libya’s Al Hilal Bengazi in their CAF Confederation Cup preliminary fixture return leg fixture on Sunday evening.
Al Hilal threatened to draw first blood when their left winger tried to take advantage of Homeboyz keeper Farouk Shikalo coming off his line to deal with a turnover, but the ball sailed just wide of the post
Benghazi continued to show their superiority, creating a flurry of chances at every available opportunity, and it looked as if Homeboyz could not find a way to seize their dominance.
In the 11th minute, Abana Beingo got their first chance of the match after a swift counter attacking break which resulted in Moses Mudavadi hitting the ball straight at the keeper.
The hosts finally drew first blood in the 13th minute when Ifeanyi Eze curled a well executed left footed shot into the bottom of Farouk Shikalo’s net, which left Homeboyz having to regroup to find out how to mitigate the situation.
They nearly equalized in the 19th minute when Moses Shummah hit the ball wide of the net in the 19th minute after receiving the ball well from the left flank, before cutting inside to attempt his shot.
Homeboyz gave away a freekick in the 23rd minute when Hillary Otieno handled the ball on the edge of the box. Osama Beleid would score with ease from the resulting free kick.
Homeboyz’s night went from bad to worse in the 31st minute, as Eze doubled his goals for the night when he got on the end of a through ball before slotting home past Shikalo’s near post.
It was looking all doom and gloom, but just before the break, Mudavadi would reduce the deficit for the FKF Cup champions, giving them something worth fighting for after the break.
The second half did not start as frantically as the first, but Brian Eshianda was booked for his challenge on Eze, as he attempted to break away at pace through the middle of the prk, much to Patrick Odhiambo’s frustration, who was booked for complaining on the touchline.
From then on, the game became effectively a damp squib, with Al Hilal trying to manage the game out, allowing Homeboyz to have the lion’s share of possession, but not in dangerous areas.
Al Hlal would then hit the final nail in Homeboyz’s coffin, sending them packing back to Kenya. The result now means that the country will have to wait another season to qualify for the group stages of the competition since Gor Mahia in 2019.
