Sofapaka inch closer to money bracket

By James Waindi

Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side Sofapaka will know their next opponent on Friday when Confederation of African Football (CAF) makes the draw for the next level of the Confederation Cup in Cairo.

Winners from the third round of the Confederation Cup are set to meet the losers from the last knock-out stage of the Caf Champions League for group-phase places.

After knocking out St Eloi Lupopo on Sunday, Sofapaka is one step away from making history and becoming the first local side to reach the group stage of the Confederation Cup, a feat no Kenyan team has achieved since the competition was revamped in 2004.

For 2009 KPL champions to write a new record by reaching that level, they have to go past one more hurdle where they will have to meet one of the eight Champions League losers including former continental champions and 23 times Cote D’Ivore league champions Asec Mimosa, Tunisia’s Club Africain and Ittihad of Libya, who were knocked out of the Champions League race at the weekend.

.

Keep Reading

•  Detectives probe raid, robbery of reservist's gun

Other teams that are likely to meet Sofapaka in the next stage are Interclube of Angola, Tunisia’s ASC Les Jaraafs, Morocco’s Wydad, Setif of Algeria and Zambia’s Zesco United which knocked out Mathare United two years ago.

If the ‘Batoto Ba Mungu’ beat any of the eight teams on a home and away basis, they would qualify for the group stage where they would automatically enter the money bracket. At that level, the team would be sure of at least Sh12.6 million ($150,000) even if they lose all their group matches and settle for the bottom place and the local federation would also earn Sh1.2m for the team’s feat.

Winning the tournament would see Sofapaka pocket a whooping Sh52.5 million ($625,000) with the local federation being guaranteed of Sh2.9m. If they lose in the final they would still be Sh36.2 million ($432,000) richer.