AS Kigali will welcome Libyan outfit Al Nasr to the Huye Stadium on Saturday, October 8 in the 2022 CAF Confederation Cup final preliminary round first leg tie. The City of Kigali sponsored club dispatched ASAS Djibouti 1-0 on aggregate in the previous round to book a place with the Libyan giants as they hope to make it to the Group stage of Africa's second biggest club competition for the first time in their history. Previous history in CAF Competitions AS Kigali are virtually minnows when it comes to CAF competitions as they have made it to the Confederation Cup thrice since 2013 but have never qualified to the Group stage. Al Nasr on the other hand have made a total of eleven appearances in CAF Competitions since their debut in 1979. Their best performance to date was the semi-final berth they secured in the 1985 Cup Winners Cup although they later withdrew. Form Guide Al Nasr have been very competitive since July 2022 although the Libyan League is set to begin on October 19. They featured in the Libyan Championship round competition in July this year in which out of five games, they won one which was against Al Ahly Benghazi, lost to Azzaweya, Al Ittihad and Al Akhdar before drawing 1-1 with Al Ahly Tripoli. AS Kigali on the other had defeated rivals APR FC in the Super Cup, beat ASAS Djibouti 1-0 on aggregate over two legs and in the domestic league, they defeated Etincelles and Rutsiro by 2-0 and 2-1 respectively. Key Players to look out for It will be a very dicey game in Huye as the results could have a great impact on the second leg. Both teams have great individual talents and AS Kigali players like skipper Haruna Niyonzima will be key. The veteran winger is the heart and soul of the team and when he performs, the team also gets things going. Burundian striker Shabani Hussein who was effectively policed by ASAS Djibouti is still AS Kigali's most deadly player upfront and if he gets a good day expect the goals to flow. Al Nasr sold their top striker Junior Ajayi to Egyptian outfit Smouha in July 2022 but they still have the men who can cause problems for AS Kigali on any day. Samson Obi is expected to lead the attack of Al Nasr on Saturday. A very dynamic forward, he can play as a central striker and also attack from the wings with his pace being his greatest asset. The Libyan club also has Senegalese import Talla Ndiaye who has previously played in Niger, France, Lebanon and Egypt. The right-winger is among Al Nasr's best players and can be deadly if let loose. Tactical acumen of both coaches AS Kigali head coach Andre Casa Mbungo has already admitted that the game will be tough as Al Nasr are a solid side. I think they're a very strong team and we're a professional side. It's not going to be an easy match but we need to make the most of home advantage and avoid reckless mistakes, Mbungo indicated ahead of the game. Mbungo normally plays a 4-2-3-1 formation and a lot will depend on his two central midfielders (Lawrence Juma and Rashid Kalisa or Olivier Niyonzima) if they are to get hold of the game. Al Nasr appointed Tunisian gaffer Chiheb Ellili as their new head coach in August this year and he is now getting to know his players. This is going to be his first major assignment as head coach of the club and it might have come too early for him to do any magic but football has been known to defy logic.
