NAIROBI, Kenya, October 27, 2025 – Nairobi United’s hero in the Confederations Cup, Kevin Oduor, says his masterclass against Etoile Sportive du Sahel was inspired by the dark arts of their opponent’s fans.
Oduor says the noise and the laser lights beamed on his face did not distract him rather it awoke the beast in him to spur his side to victory.
“I just remained calm and did what I was supposed to do for my team. I was always expecting the noise (from the Etoile fans) and the laser beams. I was ready for anything that would take place. That’s what encouraged me to try and do my best for my team,” the custodian said.
The national under 20 netminder shot to continental fame on Sunday night after his heroics earned Nairobi United a coveted slot in the group stages of the Caf Confederation Cup.
All through the 90 plus minutes of action, the youngster had to endure jeers from the home crowd at the Stade Olympique Sosse.
This to add to the laser lights that were constantly shone in his eyes to distract him.
Regardless, he showed maturity beyond his youth, saving two spot kicks – and scoring the winning penalty – to lead the side to a 7-6 post-match penalties win over the hosts.
Oduor admits he was not taunted by the intimidating atmosphere but always believed in himself – and God.
“This is the best environment for me…it’s a big difference from the atmosphere we experience in the league back home. First, you have to believe in yourself. I love to believe that God is with you…to give you courage,” he explained.
Doing the undoable
Coming into the match with 2-0 lead from the first leg in Nairobi, the Kenya Premier League newbies were looking to defy history by coming away with victory in a hostile environment where many Kenyan clubs have in the past been torn to smithereens.
North Africa has sort of been a slaughterhouse of many Kenyan clubs, where their continental dreams have been reduced to a rubble.
Consequently, many bookmakers would have been forgiven for tipping the Tunisian giants to turn the tie on its head and progress at the expense of the debutants.
Indeed, it seemed a repeat of history was on the cards when the Tunisians scored two goals in the second half to nullify Naibois’ aggregate advantage.
The first one, came early in the second half, Rayan Anen latching onto a cutback to fire past Oduor.
The hosts then poured forward in search of a decisive second but the custodian exhibited a cool head to claim the numerous crosses that came his way.
However, all the good work seemed to come to naught in the dying seconds of the game as Oduor unwisely came out to claim a cross to which he was beaten by Gaffran Al Nawali to score the second.
Thankfully, he rose to the occasion during the penalties, crowning it all with a well-taken penalty to cement their place among the crème-de-la-crème of the competition.
Humility is key
Nairobi United have developed a knack for claiming the scalp of big teams.
Their journey to the continental stage was one for the history books, in which they dispatched KPL bigwigs including Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), Tusker and Kakamega Homeboyz to reach the finals of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Cup.
Here, they encountered another giant in the name of Gor Mahia, who were themselves seeking redemption after relinquishing the league crown to Kenya Police.
Nicholas Muyoti’s charges were not to be undone, felling K’Ogalo 2-1 to win the domestic cup, and to secure their place in the continental stage.
Their latest success notwithstanding, Oduor insists that they will keep their feet on the ground and their heads held high.
“We are going to stay humble. We are not going to look down on any other team in the league just because we are playing already in big stages and against big teams. Every team from the league, I believe that they are also equal to the task that we are doing,” Oduor added.
He is also mindful of the high standards of competition that await them in the group stages.
“We have to go as far as we can. Right now, we are going to the group stage and I believe that we are going to make it. We are going to approach the tournament with the right mentality, with the right effort,” Oduor said.
Consequently, the newbies are the second Kenyan side to make the group stages of the prestigious competition after Gor Mahia in 2018.
