Robin Toskin
16 February 2008
Nairobi — Tusker return to Africa's premier club competition, the Caf Champions League, against Eritrea's Al Tahrir on Saturday at Kasarani, a year since announcing grand plans to conquer the continent.
The club, sponsored by brewing giants East African Breweries undertook a restructuring programme early last year that included the appointment of a chief executive to oversee its growth.
One of the club's immediate targets was to win the Kenya Premier League, which they duly lifted last November to set up during Saturday's clash with the Eritrean champions.
The brewers' coach Jacob Mulee is aware of the burden of expectation and is juggling a squad of 30 players as he seeks to get off the ground Tusker's ambitions.
"Eritrea is one of most improved football nations and because of that we are focused in this club tie," Mulee told reporters ahead of the encounter at 3.00pm.
Despite being overwhelming favourites in Saturday's encounter Mulee warns his side lacks continental experience with most of previous charges departed.
Their top scorer in the last two Champions League competitions Boniface Ambani left for India, midfielder George Midenyo went to Sweden and goalkeeper Wilson Oburu is headed for Bandari. Long serving captain Abubakar Yusuf is headed for Oman and Nicholas Ochieng is no longer a central figure.
"We are in a rebuilding process too. The current side lacks continental experience, which makes the tie tricky. But even then we have no choice but to win comfortably to make work easier in the return leg," Mulee said.
With Harambee Stars' fullbacks Ibrahim Shikanda and John Njoroge available alongside experienced Charles Onyango, Mulee's only headache is in striking after Tusker lost their only out and out striker Allan Wanga to Petro Atletico.
Mulee could end up pairing midfielder Simon Mburu and Gerald Mukonza upfront with John Keo, Jerry Santos and Edward Kauka involved in midfield.
Tusker have not come any closer to their 2001 performance when Tunisia's Esperance dumped them on away-goal rule minutes away from the lucrative group stage.
Then, a 2-1 win in Nairobi and a 1-0 loss in Tunis halted the ale men's progress having eliminated Ethiopia's St George also on away goal rule after 1-1 stalemate.
It is the third time in eight years that Tusker are meeting Eritrean opposition since eliminating Red Sea 6-5 on penalties after identical 1-1 score lines over two legs i n 2000. On both occasions Tusker met their waterloo at the hands of Africa's giants Al Ahly with 2006 encounter ending in 5-0 aggregate drubbing.
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