Dennis Kegengo
February 8, 2026CAFCC: Nairobi United aim to finish with honour against Wydad – Salim Ali
CAFCC: Nairobi United aim to finish with honour against Wydad – Salim Ali
NairobI United head coach Salim Ali has revealed their desire to win their remaining two matches in the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup campaign.
The Kenyan promoted side will return to action for their matchday five against Morocco giants Wydad AC seeking first victory in the group stage. United have played four matches and are yet to register a win.
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The performance has seen them miss out on reaching the knockout stage on the first time of asking. Speaking ahead of the game, Ali maintained they have set a target of finishing on a high against Wydad and their final fixture against AS Maniema of DR Congo away.
Nairobi United want to bounce back against Wydad
“We want to shift the mentality, after the defeat in mid-week against AP Bomet, it was not really good for the team, but I believe we want to bounce back against Wydad,” Ali told Pan-Africa Football.
“Our focus is to finish with an honour, because sometimes it is a good experience that we have had as a team so far in the competition, but at the end of the day, we want to finish our two matches with good results.
“If we can get four points, it can be very good on our side, if we can get three points, it can still be very good on our side. We have to get points from the remaining two matches, and we know it is not difficult.”
Ali added: “We have quality players in the squad, but they haven’t gelled together as a team, what we want to do is to give them opportunity, of course in the coming two matches, to try and see how they can perform in their fitness level, and how they can interact with the other players before we come back and start concentrating on domestic matches.”
‘We are trying to motivate the players’
“It is our last game at home in the competition, and we want to showcase good discipline before we head to Maniema for our last fixture in the group. For sure, we are trying to motivate the players, to try and give us a positive result.
“The players are positive; everything is good in camp. The players have responded well to training after the defeat against APS Bomet.”
On whether it will be a challenge facing Wydad, he said: “Always it does when you don’t have enough time, we don’t have enough time to prepare, but at the end of the day, sometimes there is a level that we are always there, we have to focus on our play.
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“I don’t want to say it is a challenge, but we have to counter it.”
On the team’s fitness heading into the fixture, the former Mathare United coach said: “On the fitness level, I think it is only one player who is out, Buregeya (Prince), maybe in the next two weeks, he will be back. That is the only player that will miss the game.”
He added: “Our top striker Michael (Karamor) is also being assessed, maybe if not this Sunday, then against Maniema will be okay.”
Ali concluded: “We played Wydad away in Morocco, we played well, the only thing is that for a team as young as Nairobi United, there is a thing they want to show the continent, but if we minimise mistakes on Sunday, and try to be positive, then I think we will win the game.”
United are lying last in Group B and will host Wydad, who beat them 3-0 in the first-round fixture, at Kasarani Stadium on Sunday.