Tusker FC players celebrate after clinching the Mozzart Bet Cup trophy /HANDOUT
After ending a decade-long drought in the Mozzart Bet Cup with a convincing win over rivals Kenya Police over the weekend, Tusker FC have shifted their focus to Africa, where they hope to mark their return to the CAF Confederation Cup with renewed ambition.
The trophy served as a reminder of the club’s pedigree, but Tusker say the bigger test lies beyond Kenya’s borders. Their victory at Kwale Stadium ended a 10-year wait for silverware in Kenya’s premier knockout competition. It also reopened the door to continental football and gave the Brewers a chance to rebuild after a difficult domestic campaign.
Tusker finished ninth in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League, a result that fell below expectations for a club used to competing at the top. But the Mozzart Bet Cup triumph has shifted the mood and renewed the team’s ambition.
The club’s leadership has already started planning for the continental campaign. Chairman Charles Gacheru said Tusker want to use Kwale Stadium as their home venue for CAF matches.
“We have already formally written to the County Government of Kwale to seek permission to host our continental home matches at Kwale Stadium,” Gacheru said.
The move would take Tusker away from their traditional Nairobi base. The club hopes to strengthen its connection with supporters at the coast while using the facilities at the venue where it won the trophy.
Head coach Julien Mette said the cup final win came after detailed planning by his technical bench. He said they spent weeks studying Police FC’s style before the match.
“We thoroughly studied Police FC’s rigid 4-4-2 defensive block and actively worked on how to beat them,” Mette explained.
Mette said the plan required patience, and they aimed to draw their opponents out before attacking the spaces left behind.
“I specifically instructed the players to use short build-up passes deep within our own half to draw the opponent out,” Mette said.
Striker Eric Kapaito said the title offered the team a chance to make up for a disappointing league season.
“The league season fell well below our standards, but we viewed this cup as our ultimate opportunity to make amends,” Kapaito said.
Kapaito said the squad felt the weight of criticism during the league campaign, but remained determined to finish the season with a trophy.
Gacheru said the club will honour its promise to the players with a financial reward from the parent company. “The board will fully fulfil our pre-match promise by giving the players a Ksh2 million motivation cash bonus directly from our parent company,” he stated.
He said the official tournament prize money will go towards the club’s continental preparations. “The official Sh3 million grand prize from the sponsors will not be distributed as bonuses; it is strictly earmarked to fund our upcoming continental travel,” Gacheru explained.
Captain Charles Momanyi said mentality will be key as Tusker prepare for continental competition. “Tactics alone do not settle matches of this magnitude; whoever wants it more on the day will always win it,” Momanyi said.
He said the return to continental football will also help the players grow. “Returning to the continental stage is a massive step up that offers our players unparalleled exposure and career development,” he added. Tusker want more than participation in the CAF Confederation Cup. The club says its long-term target is a return to the CAF Champions League.
“Our long-term goal is to win the league title next season and return to the CAF Champions League, where this club truly belongs,” Gacheru declared. Mette said continental qualification will help the club attract stronger players during a planned squad rebuild.
“Securing a spot in Africa gives us massive leverage, and we will use our healthy budget to attract top-tier foreign talent,” the coach said. He said the team also wants to build on the tactical approach it used in the final.
“Once they stepped up to press us, we deployed our wingers low to exploit the slower speed of their centre-backs,” he said. Kapaito said the pressure of playing for a big club should drive the team forward. “The pressure at a big club is a good thing, and we are using that expectation to propel ourselves into the future,” he said.
For Tusker, the Mozzart Bet Cup trophy marks the start of a new push on the continental stage.
