Kenya Police Bullets during a training session/ HANDOUT
Kenya Police Bullets assistant coach Lawrence Suji hopes to ride on home advantage in the CAF Women’s Champions League CECAFA qualifiers on September 4–16 at Nyayo Stadium and Ulinzi Sports Complex.
He said the energy from local fans can lift a team’s morale and performance, as witnessed with the Harambee Stars at the CHAN 2024.
“We respect every opponent, but we know home advantage can push us when games get tough,” Suji said.
The Kenyan Women’s Premier League champions are drawn alongside Uganda’s Kampala Queens and Eritrea’s FC Denden.
Both Kampala Queens and Denden are debutants in the qualifiers, but Suji says their status as champions in their respective countries makes them worthy opponents.
“Knockout football is different from the league, so we take a game-by-game approach, improving with each match because our ultimate target is the trophy,” he added.
He cautioned against complacency in a group that promises competitive football.
Kampala Queens, handled by Ethiopian coach Asefa Firew Hailegebreal, boast an experienced squad that dominated the FUFA Women’s Super League.
Denden SC, who received special CAF approval to feature, are making history as the first Eritrean team to play in the qualifiers.
“You can’t underestimate new teams; they bring surprises,” Suji said.
He noted the need for tactical flexibility as Bullets chase a first-ever ticket to the Women’s Champions League finals later this year.
Founded just three years ago, Suji said Bullets (formerly Thika FC) are one of Kenya’s fastest-growing women’s clubs, pointing to steady progress in their second year of CECAFA competition.
“We’ve been building step by step, and now we want to make this campaign count,” he said, confident that the squad’s blend of youth and experience can deliver results on home soil.
Defending champions Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) headline Group B alongside Burundi’s Top Girls’ Academy and Rwanda’s Rayon Sport WFC.
Group C has JKT Queens from Tanzania and Zanzibar’s JKU Princess, with South Sudan’s Yei Joint Stars rounding up the nine-team field.
The winner will earn the region’s sole ticket to the Women’s Champions League finals.
Suji promised a bold fight from the Bullets as they look to turn home support into continental success.
“This is more than just participation; it’s about making a statement for Kenyan women’s football,” Suji concluded.
