Kakamega Homeboyz head coach Patrick Odhiambo has said they are not quaking in the boots ahead of their Caf Confederation first-leg encounter against Libyan side Al Hilal Benghazi.
The FKF Cup champions will have their first real test against the North African side at Nyayo Stadium on August 18.
The continental governing body has assigned the Ugandan quartet of William Oloya, Isa Masembe, Emmanuel Okudra, and Mashood Ssali to officiate the match.
In an exclusive interview on Sunday, Odhiambo said he believed his charges have already sharpened their talons well enough to kick off their campaign on a high note.
“Our preparations so far are going on according to plan. We have noted a few areas that we intend to straighten up in the coming week before our match against Al Hilal. However, I believe we are generally ready for the task ahead,” Odhiambo said.
“We have played two quality matches against sides that have a lot of experience on the international stage and from what I’ve seen, we have the potential to make things happen,” Odhiambo said.
Their last match was at the Moi Stadium, Kasarani on Saturday, where they lost 4-2 to Kenyan champions Gor Mahia on post-match penalties in an action-packed FKF Shield Cup thriller.
Odhiambo said they had picked some positives from the match despite the narrow loss. He said it would be misleading for anyone to use the match as a yardstick to gauge their current form.
“Meeting Gor Mahia was important to us. Remember this is a team that has a lot of experience playing on the international stage. They posed the kind of challenge we are likely to encounter against our foreign opponents,” Odhiambo remarked.
“I’m happy none of our players picked an injury from our tie against Gor. Nobody should use the match to measure our potential. After all, the game was decided by penalties,” Odhiambo said.
The loss came on the back of another one in Kampala a week ago, where they crashed 2-0 to Uganda Premier League giants KCCA at the MTN Omondi Stadium.
“We needed matches of that calibre to aid us in preparing for the continental stage,” he said.
“We had planned a trip to Tanzania to help us with further preparations for both the KPL and our Caf Confederations Cup campaign. However, we felt we were short of time,” Odhiambo said.
The gaffer exuded confidence in the depth of his squad after the club plunged vast resources into the ongoing transfer window to strengthen their ranks.
“I have secured the signatures of six new quality players who will help us accomplish our goals for the new season. It will take them time to gel with the rest of the squad but I’m sure they will prove their worth once they synchronize with the team’s rhythm,” Odhiambo said.
