Anticipation is rising across the capital as Nairobi United in CAF Confederation Cup 2025 becomes a reality, not a dream. The Naibois have been dropped into Group B with Wydad Casablanca, AS Maniema Union, and Azam FC, and their debut on the continental stage already feels like a story Kenya has waited years to tell.
The draw in Johannesburg brought a mix of history and opportunity. It was conducted by CAF’s Head of Competitions Division Khaled Nassar, with two African greats, Christopher Katongo and Alex Song, assisting. For Nairobi United, who only just earned promotion to the Kenyan top flight, the message is simple, embrace the underdog tag, but do not be defined by it.
The draw and the opponents
Nairobi United are in Group B alongside Wydad AC of Morocco, AS Maniema Union of DR Congo, and Azam FC of Tanzania. On paper, the Moroccans carry the weight of reputation. Wydad are three-time CAF Champions League winners, and they cruised past Asante Kotoko 6-1 on aggregate to reach this group stage. Yet, the Confederation Cup remains unfamiliar territory for them. As reported, this is only their second appearance in the group stage of this competition, after an elimination at the same phase in 2012.
Azam arrive riding a wave of regional dominance from the qualifiers. They did not concede in four matches, beating El Merrikh Bentiu 4-0 and KMKM 9-0 to book their first ever group berth. That defensive record is imposing, but the step up in class from qualifiers to group stage is significant, and Nairobi United’s staff know it.
AS Maniema mirror Nairobi United’s resilience. They edged Pamplemousses 4-3 on aggregate, then climbed through a penalty shootout against Royal Leopards after a 2-2 aggregate draw. With three debutants in this group, including the Naibois and Azam, technical director Salim Ali captured the mood well, describing it as a good and favourable draw, one that will come down to how teams perform at home and manage their away games.
The road already traveled
Getting here demanded nerve and clarity of purpose. Nairobi United survived NEC FC on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw, then stunned Étoile du Sahel, 11-time Tunisian champions, in a 7-6 penalty shootout after a 2-2 aggregate tie. Goalkeeper Kevin Oduor stood tallest, saving two penalties and converting the decisive kick to send the club into history.
That win made Nairobi United only the second Kenyan club after Gor Mahia to reach the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup. It is a milestone wrapped in grit, and it shapes how the Naibois will approach Group B.
Voices of belief and respect
From the draw stage, Alex Song, the former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder, placed his faith in the new faces of African football. He insisted that the field is more level than many assume.
When I look at all these groups, I think everyone has a real opportunity. Football in Africa has grown a lot, and you can see that from what happened at the last World Cup. You cannot take anything for granted anymore.
Song went further, pointing to football’s habit of rewarding determination as much as reputation.
Sometimes people think certain teams do not have the quality, but football always surprises you. This is a great opportunity for these clubs to show their progress and ambition.
His words carry weight, not only because of his pedigree, but also his choice late in his career to return to Africa with a stint in Djibouti. He explained that he had options elsewhere but chose the continent that shaped him, a reminder that pride and purpose fuel many of football’s most powerful stories.
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Muyoti’s challenge to the giants
Head coach Nicholas Muyoti is steering this narrative with conviction. He has framed Group B as an invitation, not a punishment.
We respect the giants, yes, but even giants fall when a team believes more than it fears.
He demanded that Nairobi United play with meaning and ambition, not anxiety.
This draw is not a punishment, it is an invitation to prove that Kenyan football still has a heartbeat. When people said we could not reach this far, I told the boys, football does not listen to history, it listens to hunger.
Preparation, he says, must be intelligent and adaptable.
You cannot buy experience, but you can build it in fire.
It is a line tailor-made for a young side about to learn quickly against North, Central, and East African opposition.
Strategy for survival and progress
Salim Ali’s blueprint is practical and clear. Turn Nairobi into a fortress and manage the away days. A target of 10 points, which would likely secure a quarter-final place, is attainable if the Naibois win their three home ties and pick up at least one point on the road. The schedule, tough as it looks, offers a path to do exactly that.
The opener is set away to Wydad on November 23, a daunting assignment that can be treated as a free hit. The real pivot comes seven days later when United host AS Maniema on November 30, a must-win platform before the competition pauses for the Africa Cup of Nations. Action then resumes with Azam in Nairobi on January 25, followed by the return leg in Tanzania on February 1. Wydad visit Nairobi on February 8, and the group wraps up with a trip to AS Maniema on February 15.
Within that arc, the back-to-back meetings with Azam could decide everything. If Nairobi United secure maximum points at home against Maniema and Azam, then a disciplined draw in Dar es Salaam would move them to that crucial double-digit total. The glamour tie, Wydad in Nairobi on February 8, could then be approached with ambition rather than desperation.
Fixtures and key dates
CAF has slated the group stage from November 23 to February 2026, with a mid-competition break for AFCON. The expected sequence for Group B aligns with United’s strategy. The club has confirmed residential training begins next week to prepare for the opener against Wydad, and Nyayo Stadium is set to host their home ties once CAF confirms the match orders.
- November 23, Wydad AC vs Nairobi United
- November 30, Nairobi United vs AS Maniema Union
- January 25, Nairobi United vs Azam FC
- February 1, Azam FC vs Nairobi United
- February 8, Nairobi United vs Wydad AC
- February 15, AS Maniema Union vs Nairobi United
Money and meaning
History is not the only reward on the table. By reaching the group stage, Nairobi United have already secured USD 400,000, approximately KSh 51.6 million. Progress to the quarter-finals would lift that figure to USD 550,000, about KSh 71 million, a transformative sum for any Kenyan club, and one that could strengthen structures far beyond these six matches.
The group also places two CECAFA representatives together. With Azam and United sharing regional familiarity, small details will matter, travel management, late-game composure, and the tactical audacity to tilt tight moments. Nairobi United’s path through NEC and Étoile du Sahel, where margins were thin and focus was vital, suggests that patience and nerve are already part of the club’s identity.
Why belief is not blind
Muyoti has been careful to blend ambition with respect. He called his team new kids on Africa’s block, then reminded everyone that they will not knock politely.
We are the new kids on Africa’s block, but we will not knock politely. We are coming with noise, energy, and pride.
His players, he says, are not scared. They learned in Tunisia that 11 versus 11 is the truth on the pitch and that the 12th man, valuable as it is, cannot decide every contest. That lesson matters now, with trips looming and reputations waiting to be challenged in Casablanca, Dar es Salaam, and DR Congo.
The coach’s final word captures the spirit of this moment.
Our dream is not to survive, it is to surprise. We are not afraid of the mountain, we just came to climb.
Wydad’s aura and the opening test
Nothing in Group B is bigger than Wydad’s stature, and that is exactly why this is a perfect opening exam. The Moroccans wear the aura of Champions League royalty, but they have not conquered this specific tournament. As Alex Song pointed out, African football keeps closing gaps. Nairobi United’s job is to compress the space further, turning a gulf in pedigree into a contest of present-day execution.
There is an advantage in unfamiliarity as well. With three first-time participants in this group stage, and with Wydad less seasoned in the Confederation Cup, no one can lean fully on experience. As Salim Ali suggested, the team that masters its home pitch and keeps its nerve away will advance.
What must go right
The Naibois need three pillars to hold firm. They must protect Nyayo Stadium as a true home, keep their defensive shape in the first 20 minutes of every away game, and seize set pieces with precision. The margins that carried them past Étoile du Sahel, the ability to stay composed when the air thins and the noise grows, must be a constant.
Within that, the goalkeeper’s calm, the back line’s communication, and a willingness to suffer without panic will be crucial. Nairobi United have already shown they can win by inches, not just by flair. That is the right toolkit for a balanced and anxious group stage where every point is gold.
Alex Song’s Africa and the wider meaning
Song’s presence at the draw was more than ceremonial. He spoke openly about choosing to play in Africa at the end of his career, selecting Djibouti over the Middle East because he wanted to give back to the continent that shaped him. It is a mindset that resonates with what Nairobi United are attempting to do, lift Kenyan football’s heartbeat and leave stories that endure.
Those stories are already forming. A young club, promoted and untested at this level, walked into Tunis and held their nerve. They now stand shoulder to shoulder with a Champions League juggernaut and two ambitious debutants. The next chapter asks if they can turn belief into results, and results into a landmark quarter-final place.
