The Brewers’ journey in the 2026/27 competition came to an end despite securing a 1-1 draw against Singida Black Stars at Azam Complex in Chamazi, Tanzania.
Tusker went into the game seeking to overturn a 1-0 deficit suffered in the first leg in Nairobi a fortnight ago. However, it was Singida who benefitted from the draw as they qualified on a 2-1 aggregate win.
Tusker knew they were facing a tall order and found themselves trailing again in the 67th minute when Singida broke the deadlock. Victor Mbaoma equalised for Tusker after 81 minutes but that was not enough to save the Kenyans from an early exit.
‘There are no regrets’
“I think they are very sad and disappointed, but I am proud of them today. There are no regrets about the way we played in this match,” Mette said after the game.
“If we had played with the same intensity and energy in the first leg, we would have won by two or three goals.”
On the overall performance of the team during the two-legged fixtures, Mette said: “I still believe we were the better team, but some of our players did not perform well in the first leg. All the players delivered top performances.
“I think that is what hurts them most because they feel they could have won. We put in a ghost performance in the first leg at home and were punished for it.”
Mette further explained why he felt Tusker felt short in their quest to reach the group stage of the competition.
“If you look at some of the teams that go very far in African competitions, it is not always about champagne football, numerous passes or dominance. When they get an opportunity, they take it 100 per cent,” explained Mette.
“I think that is the main lesson we need to learn from this team. Tactically, there is nothing we need to learn from them, but some of their players can be ghosts for 80 minutes, and then, at the right moment when it matters most, they appear.
“I think that is something that can help our players improve.”
Mette concluded: “I hope that, because we are a young team and the club has never reached the group stage, these guys will learn a lesson and come back stronger next year.
“If we account for the opportunities in both the first and second legs, Singida had fewer chances than us. But this is the reality at the highest level.”
Singida had fewer opportunities
Mette further conceded that Tusker complicated their qualification campaign after failing to win their first leg at home.
“We failed to turn up in the first leg at home, and I think we were punished for that,” offered Mette.
“If we take into account the chances created across both legs, I think Singida had fewer opportunities than we did. However, this is the reality at the highest level.
"That is the main lesson we must learn from this team. Tactically and technically, there is not much we need to learn from them, but some of their players can make the difference.”
Tusker will now shift their focus to the domestic competitions, with a SportPesa Premier League game against Mathare United awaiting them on Thursday, October 29th.
Meanwhile, Simba SC coach Steve Barker has challenged his players to keep the fire burning after their 9-1 aggregate win against Equatorial Guinea's 15 de Agosto ensured they qualified for the Champions League group phase.
“I’m happy with the individual performances and the collective team performance,” said the South African coach.
“We are a team that prides itself on never becoming complacent and always looking to keep improving. We will take the positives from the last two matches, but there are still one or two areas we can look to improve.”
On the group stage draw, Barker said: “We will have to see what the draw holds for us, and we will be positive in our efforts to get ourselves into the next stage.
“We want to do well on the continent. It is a massive objective for us to hopefully get into at least the knockout stages, and from there anything is possible.”
The Tanzanian giants won the first leg 6-1 before completing their qualification with a 3-0 outcome on Sunday.
