Shock as Kenyan Coach Blames ‘Lack of Oxygen’ After 1-0 Defeat

Al Ahli Wad Madani head coach Aliyu Zubairu has blamed Nairobi’s weather and what he described as insufficient oxygen for his side’s 1-0 loss to Tusker FC on September 12.

Zubairu claimed the conditions in the Kenyan capital affected some of his midfielders as Al Ahli struggled to turn their chances into goals at Nyayo Stadium.

Speaking to the media after the game, the former Nigeria U20 head coach said the team’s performance was affected by the weather rather than tactical adjustments.

“When it comes to the issue of tactics, sometimes it has to do with the weather. You know, in Kenya, sometimes you don’t have enough oxygen. So when you are coming from somewhere where you have enough oxygen and you go to where there’s not enough oxygen, there’s definitely a kind of natural effect that will affect you,” he explained.

He added that the conditions affected some of his midfielders, who failed to perform as expected.

“Some of the midfielders could not get themselves together very well, and they couldn’t come up with what we expected from them,” he said.

Al Ahli Wad Madani Failed to Use Their Chances

Zubairu also played down suggestions that Al Ahli had underestimated Tusker, insisting that football does not have minnows.

“Well, football is all about winning and losing. It’s either you win, you draw or you lose. And in football, when you go to play, there are no minnows. Every country that comes to participate in the competition has a good team,” he said.

The coach admitted that his side failed to make the most of its opportunities, while Tusker took advantage of its chances.

“So we came, we played, and we did not use our own chances, while Tusker got their opportunity and made use of it,” he added.

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Erambo Sends Tusker Through

Tusker FC secured the victory through Chrispine Erambo, who scored the decisive solo goal in the second half.

The result gave Julien Mette’s charges a 3-2 aggregate victory after the two sides had played out a 2-2 draw in the first leg at Kigali Pele Stadium last weekend, September 6.

The result also ended Al Ahli Wad Madani’s journey in the 2026 CAF Confederation Cup at the first preliminary round.

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Tusker Keep Continental Dream Alive

Tusker, meanwhile, will continue their campaign as they look to progress beyond the preliminary rounds.

The Brewers will face the winner of the first preliminary-round tie between Tanzania’s Singida Black Stars and South Sudan’s Al-Ghazal FC in the next round.

Tusker will also hope to go further than Nairobi United did last season, when the Kenyan side reached the group stage.

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Photo collage of Ahli Wad Madani Coach Aliyu Zubairu during Tusker FC Vs Al Ahli Wad Madani post match conference at Nyayo Stadium on September 12
PHOTO/Screen grab