Homeboyz left with work to do after barren draw with Hilal

• They drew 0-0 with Libya’s Hilal in the first leg in Nairobi
• This is Homeboyz’s debut in Continental football
• They play the second leg in Benghazi this weekend

Kakamega Homeboyz have been left with a mountain to climb in their quest for qualification to the first round of the CAF Confederation Cup after playing to 0-0 draw with Libya’s Al Hilal Benghazi in the first leg of the preliminary round in Nairobi.

Homeboyz must now beat the Libyans in their home turf in Benghazi in the return leg this weekend, or in the worst pick a scoring draw for them to earn a place in the next round of the competition.

Homeboyz Head coach Patrick Odhiambo rued missed chances, saying they should have converted at least a goal or two to make things easier for them.

“We dominated much of the game and we had so many scoring opportunities but we could not utilize it. I think that was the biggest undoing of the game. If we got a goal or two, I think it would have made things easier for us,” said the tactician.

His opposite number, Benghazi’s Mohamed Ouda said they were satisfied with the result.

“We had looked at how Homeboyz play and most of the time, we saw they were utilizing the long balls and we planned to counter them on that. I think we did pretty well and we can finish off the job at home,” said the tactician.

Libyans start off brighter 

Action between Al Hilal Benghazi and Kakamega Homeboyz

The Libyans had started off brighter and had two scoring chances in the opening 10 minutes. First, a training ground routine corner saw the ball set up for Ahmed Ramadhan whose shot flew inches wide with the keeper beaten.

In the ninth minute, Eze Kelvin beat the offside trap and went through on goal, and the Libyans thought his collision with keeper Faruk Shikhalo would warrant a penalty but the ref waved play on.

Homeboyz had decent chances to break the deadlock. New signing Ambrose Sifuna came close in the 12th minute when he nicked the ball off defender Mohammed Abdullah at the edge of the box, but he could not beat the keeper who had sprinted off his line.

In the 17th minute, Husameddin Ahmed made a brilliant save to punch away Moses Shumah’s glancing header off a Brian Wanyonyi cross.

Homeboyz thought they should have had a goal in the 20th minute when Estone Esiye’s curling freekick seemed to have been scooped over the line by the keeper, but the referee didn’t give a goal.

Home side dominating but missed chances 

Kakamega Homeboyz striker Moses Shummah reacts to a missed chance against Al Hilal Benghazi

The home side was dominating most of the play, the visitors choosing to hit on the counter. However, the Kenyan side’s greatest misgiving was their inefficiency in front of goal.

At the stroke of halftime, they had a chance to score off a counter, but Moses Mudavadi took his shot in haste, giving the keeper an easy save.

In the second half, Homeboyz started off with a peculiar change, winer Kevin Amwayi coming off for Stephen Opoku.

Homeboyz however lacked some rhythm in attack and it was the viusitors who almost scored few minutes in, but Ahmed Ramadhan’s curling effort went just wide, keeper Faruk Shikhalo left rooted to his spot.

Homeboyz couldn’t find a rhythm in the final third but they should have scored late on, when substitute Paul Adam picked the ball a few yards from goal but shot over.