There was a bittersweet feeling in Dar es Salaam as Kenya Police FC closed their CECAFA Kagame Cup 2025 campaign with a stirring 2-0 victory over Ethiopian Coffee, only to discover that the mathematics of the group stage had no room for romance. The Law Enforcers found their finishing touch at Isamuhyo Stadium, then watched the other results tip the scales against them, drawing a firm line between a brave surge and a place in the last four.
A campaign of extremes in Group A
The tournament format was always going to be unforgiving, with three groups sending only each winner and a single best runners-up to the semi-finals. Kenya Police opened with power and personality, dismantling Garde-côtes FC 4-0 to announce themselves as serious contenders. That early swagger met a sharp reality check in their next outing, a 2-1 loss to Singida Black Stars that left qualification hopes hanging by a thread.
Heading into the decisive afternoon against Ethiopian Coffee, Police stood third in the Group A queue, chasing both the Tanzanians and their Ethiopian rivals. The equation was clear, win and wait, since the best runners-up ticket would be settled elsewhere. In a competition where lineups kept changing as teams experimented, the margins were thin, and the lessons were immediate.
The decisive duel with Ethiopian Coffee
From the first whistle, the urgency was unmistakable. Police created the game’s first true opening when Gideon Muyodi, slipped through by Mosengo Tansele, found space in the box but lifted his finish over the bar. Shortly after, another slick move initiated by Exaule Misuri ended with Mosengo sliding a low effort narrowly wide, a reminder that the Kenyan champions were determined to seize control.
Ethiopian Coffee did not fold. Okay Jul stung the palms of goalkeeper Khadime Ndiaye with a fierce strike as the clock ticked past thirty-five minutes, a statement that the counterpunch was always lurking. Albert Otieno then tried to tilt the balance from distance after combining with Charles Ouma, but his shot rose too high, and both teams walked to the break with nothing between them.
Changes that altered the rhythm
Coach Etienne Ndayiragije turned to his bench to up the tempo and inject thrust. The introduction of David Simiyu, Erustus Chasara, Eric Zakayo, Geoffrey Onyango and Alvin Mangeni brought fresh legs and fresh problems for a tiring Coffee back line. Within minutes, Zakayo found Mangeni in space, and the substitute dragged his effort inches wide, close enough to broaden hope across the Police technical area.
The Ethiopians remained dangerous. Abubakar Adamu’s set piece volley in the seventy-second minute looked destined to nestle in the top corner, only for Ndiaye to conjure a fingertip save that drew a collective gasp. A few moments later, Amanual Admasu weaved into the box before Ouma arrived with a crucial interception, a reminder that defensive focus had to match attacking ambition.
Two late strikes and a roar that shook Isamuhyo
With tension thick and the clock denying indulgence, the breakthrough finally arrived. In the eighty-fifth minute, Geoffrey Onyango bent a precise cross into the danger zone where Mangeni timed his run to perfection and swept in the opener. Relief and belief coursed through the Police ranks, the sound of their celebration echoing around the ground.
Deep into stoppage time, the door swung fully open. Zakayo slipped a clever through ball to David Okoth, who rounded the advancing goalkeeper Ibrahim Donald and rolled the finish into an empty net. The second goal lit up the Police bench, a picture of persistence paying off when stakes were at their highest.
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Why victory was not enough
As the joy subsided, the calculus of the competition took over. Police’s six points, built on two wins and the single defeat to Singida Black Stars, placed them second in Group A. The complication sat outside their control. In Group B, KMC drew 1-1 with APR, both clubs finishing on seven points, with APR topping the group on goal difference and KMC claiming the only best runners-up slot.
That single result shut the door on Kenya Police, who, despite beating Ethiopian Coffee 2-0, could not climb into the semifinal bracket. The thin margins of this format left no space for compromise, and the earlier loss to Singida Black Stars grew heavier with hindsight, a solitary stumble that ultimately proved decisive.
Familiar rivalry with Ethiopian Coffee and a new chapter of growth
This clash carried echoes of recent history. The two clubs had tangled in last season’s CAF Confederation Cup first round, drawing 0-0 in Nairobi before Police nicked a 1-0 victory in Addis Ababa to advance, only to bow out to Zamalek in the next round. That familiarity framed the stakes in Dar es Salaam, and it added an extra layer of satisfaction to a victory that was earned with patience and courage.
Beyond the result, Police used the Kagame Cup as a testing ground for a group that is still taking shape. The squad has been bolstered with reinforcements, among them ex-Harambee Stars defender Joash Onyango, as well as Khadime Ndiaye, Tansley Mosengo, Samuel Olewasegun, Exauce Misuri, Gideon Muyadi and Mbombo Moise. In a tournament where opponents rotated heavily, every minute carried developmental value, an investment for the season ahead.
Voices from the camp
Captain David Cheche Ochieng embraced the learning curve, speaking candidly about the gains and the grind. He reflected on the split between dominance and disappointment, and on the tactical puzzles that come with rapidly changing lineups, underlining how the group was absorbing lessons with each outing.
“We have won one match and lost one. But overall, it has been a good lesson for us. This tournament is helping us prepare not just for this competition but also for the new season,” he said, adding, “Each team is rotating players to find their best eleven, so it is hard to know who will start. But we have studied their playing style and we are ready.”
Head coach Etienne Ndayiragije looked at the bigger picture, praising character and progression, and pointing to the youthful core that is finding its voice under pressure. The tone was upbeat, the message consistent, and the emphasis on growth, not regret.
“This tournament has been good for us. I have very young players and they needed this stage to learn. For sure we have learnt a lot and we are hopeful that we will be better when our league resumes.”
The key moments that defined Group A
- Fast start against Garde-côtes FC, a sweeping 4-0 win that showcased intensity and depth,
- Setback against Singida Black Stars, a 2-1 loss that complicated the path,
- Late flourish against Ethiopian Coffee, clinical goals by Alvin Mangeni and David Okoth that secured second place.
A study in resilience and tactical adjustments
The victory over Ethiopian Coffee was a snapshot of tactical patience. Police built pressure through measured possession, mixed their crossing zones, then leaned on the bench to tilt the duel. Fresh legs changed the passing angles and accelerated transitions, with Zakayo, Onyango and Mangeni combining to pin Coffee deeper and deeper. It was a performance that married composure with urgency, proof that the champions can problem-solve under stress.
At the back, Ndiaye’s interventions were timely and decisive. The fingertip save from Adamu’s venomous effort preserved equilibrium at a critical juncture, and Ouma’s reading of danger denied promising dribbles. These were the small battles that added up to control, the kind of moments teams must win in knockout-style group finales.
Where the journey turned and what it teaches
Every tournament has a hinge, and for Police it was that narrow defeat to Singida Black Stars. In a format that rewards perfection, the cost of a single slip becomes magnified. The response, however, was instructive. Rather than fold, Police leaned into the challenge, managed the Ethiopian Coffee test with maturity, and closed their campaign with the conviction of a team determined to author bigger nights.
It also underscored the competitive balance of the region. Singida finished Group A on seven points after beating Garde Cotes 1-0 in their last match, APR and KMC shared the points in a Group B heavyweight meeting, and a final semifinal place hinged on Group C’s last-day fixtures. In such a landscape, ambition must be paired with a ruthless consistency, a lesson Kenya Police will carry forward.
What comes next for Kenya Police
There is little time to dwell. The champions will pivot to a packed calendar that starts with a domestic showcase against Gor Mahia in the FKF Super Cup. Continental matters follow in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League against Mogadishu City FC, a milestone as Police step onto a bigger stage with fresh belief and sharpened edges.
The FKF Premier League season is slated to begin on 20 September, though Police will delay their opener due to continental duty. That schedule, combined with the growth seen in Dar es Salaam, promises an autumn of opportunity, a stretch where hard lessons can be translated into hard points and historic progress.
The human story behind the statistics
Strip away the tables and tiebreakers and what remains is a group testing its ceiling. From the first whistle against Garde-côtes to the last strike from Okoth, the thread is clear, resilience woven through every pass. A bench that changed games, a goalkeeper who refused to be beaten at key moments, a captain who found value in the grind, and a coach who steered with calm purpose, all of it speaks to a team that believes effort will eventually meet reward.
Defeat can harden resolve when framed correctly. Police leave the Kagame Cup with six points, a clean sheet in their final test, and a blueprint for the months ahead. The disappointment is real, but so is the sense that this was a staging ground rather than a ceiling, a reminder that growth is rarely linear, and that the right response can turn near misses into new standards.
Final word on a compelling campaign
Kenya Police FC earned a win that felt like a statement, only to be nudged out by the fine print of a demanding format. Yet the spirit of their finish, the late goals, the saves under pressure, and the courage to keep pushing, betrays a team ready for the next challenge. In Dar es Salaam, they found both edge and empathy, proof that the journey can matter as much as the destination, and that belief, once kindled, can light the path to bigger nights.
