Kenya Police shift focus to CAF Confederation Cup debut after FKF Cup win
4th July 2024
Police will be making their debut in the CAF Confederation Cup for the first time in its history.
- The 23/24 FKF CUp was the first trophy for Kenya Police since its inception in 2014.
- It was also Salim Babu's first in his coaching career that, at some point, was on the nosedive.
- The cup win came with a 2 million reward and a ticket to play in next season's CAF Confederation Cup which will be the first appearance for the law enforcers.
Slightly over two years ago, Salim Babu was coaching in the
Kenyan second tier, the National Super League.
His coaching career appeared to be on the skid after joining
Kisumu All Stars, a Super League outfit, in October 2020 after parting ways
with the then topflight club Wazito.
However, he sprung back to the top tier after securing the
coaching job with Nzoia Sugar in January 2022, helping the club survive
relegation.
Babu inspired Nzoia to an impressive fourth-place finish in
the 2022-2023 season, a run that earned him a move to Kenya Police albeit as an
assistant coach.
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The soft-spoken tactician was elevated to the rank of head
coach at Police in December 2023 after then-boss Zdravko Logarusic was fired
due to a persistent poor run in the league.
Under Babu, Police went for nearly five months without
defeat and shot from the bottom half of the league table and would eventually
finish third behind Tusker and champions Gor Mahia.
The club capped off the electric performance under Babu with
the Football Kenya Federation Cup on Saturday, June 29 following their 8-7 post-match penalties win over KCB in the
final staged at Ulinzi Complex.
This was the first trophy for Police since its inception in
2014 and for Babu in his coaching career that, at some point, was on the
nosedive.
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"This is a special moment for me as I had never won a
title since I ventured into coaching. I had handled several teams in the top
tier and lower tiers but had not won a title. I am happy and will live to
remember this moment," Babu told SportsBoom.
Winning the cup came with a 2 million reward and a ticket to
play in next season's CAF Confederation Cup which will be the first appearance
for the law enforcers.
Already the club has been cleared and licensed to play
continental matches alongside league winners Gor Mahia after meeting all club
licensing requirements.
Known for their big spending, Babu revealed that there are
grand plans for the team which include strengthening their squad ahead of their
debut in continental football.
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"The team has good and solid plans heading to the first
appearance in CAF matches. We will convene a meeting with the rest of the
technical bench members whom we've worked with well in the season for a
review," said the former Western Stima coach.
Babu won the Kenyan Premier League in 2006 as a player with
the defunct Sony Sugar FC under coach Francis Baraza the man he deputized for a
few months last year at Police.
He hopes to join the club of individuals who have won the
league during their active years and as a coach by inspiring Police to the
first FKF Premier League title next season.
"Winning the cup gives us the motivation to go for the Premier League title next season. A Slow start in the concluded season hurt our chances but we have since learnt our lesson. It is possible to win the league title next season," remarked the former Wazito assistant coach.
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