Millions Nairobi United will pocket if they storm CAF Confederation Cup group stage
By Joel Masibo, October 26, 2025Nairobi United are on the verge of making Kenyan football history as they prepare to face Étoile Sportive du Sahel in the decisive leg of the CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round this Sunday, October 26, 2025, in Tunis.
The Kenyan debutants carry a commanding 2-0 advantage from the first leg played in Nairobi and now need only a draw in Sousse to secure a historic qualification to the group stage of the competition, a feat no Kenyan club has achieved in seven years.
The last time a Kenyan side reached this level of success was in 2018, when Gor Mahia advanced to the group stage of the same tournament. That campaign remains a reference point for Kenyan clubs seeking continental relevance, and now Nairobi United have the chance to write their own chapter in that legacy.
Beyond the prestige, the financial incentive is monumental. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has set the group stage participation reward at US$400,000, approximately Ksh51 million. For a young and ambitious side like Nairobi United, that cash injection could be transformational.
Salim Ali speaks
Speaking to local media ahead of the fixture, Nairobi United Technical Director Salim Ali said the team is not under any sort of pressure facing the Tunisian giants in their backyard.
“We are not thinking about history. Ours is just to give our best, and then we see what comes out of it. We have shown in the first leg what we can do, and we played really well. The only regret is that we should have scored more goals. But our ambition is clear; we want to ensure that we keep this same momentum in the return tie,” Sali Ali said.
”We know it will be tougher, we know we will need to be alert, and we are ready for that. We need to find a balance between attacking and defending, but definitely our priority is definitely on exercising caution. We have something to protect already, and we just need to balance how we approach the game,” he added.
Before facing Etoile, Nairobi United narrowly advanced past Uganda’s NEC FC on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw.