Tusker FC captain Abud Omar and head coach Julien Mette believe the club’s progression to the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup will be vital for Kenya’s preparation ahead of next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe duo, speaking after the Brewers’ 3-2 preliminary first-round aggregate victory over Sudan’s Al Ahli Wad Madani last weekend, see it more as a positive for the country to have Tusker playing at higher levels of African football.Mozzart Bet Cup MVP Simiyu sets new target after making CAF debut“It would be great because qualifying for the group stage will expose a lot of our players to the high level,” Omar, who skippered Kenya to the quarter-final of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Nairobi last year, told CAF Online.“Last season Nairobi United qualified, and now they are ranked among the top 100 clubs in Africa. That shows how much it can boost not only the club, but also our league. It will be a platform for everyone to see that Kenya also produces top players.”##NAJAVA_MECA_9962311##Tusker, having got past their first hurdle, take on Tanzania’s Singida Black Stars in the final preliminary round, where the winner will qualify for the group stages.Despite having previously reached the final of the CAF Cup Winners Cup in 1994, the Brewers are aiming to reach new ground, joining Nairobi United as the first teams to make the group stage of Continental club football, since Gor Mahia last did it in 2018.11 foreign-based players axed from Harambee Stars' final squad for 2027 AFCON qualifiers“Tusker playing in the group stage means that many Kenyan players will play at least six high-level competitive Continental games, and they will gain more experience,” Mette said.“This experience will help them to improve their level, and in turn this also improves the national team. If you add on the players who play in Europe and their experience, this will impact the national team positively.”FKF, clubs reach agreement on league commencement dateKenya, one of the co-hosts of next year’s AFCON, will hope to bank on that additional pedigree to make progress on home soil.As it stands, five teams from next year’s AFCON host nations are through to the second preliminary round of both the CAF Champions League and the Confederation Cup.##NAJAVA_MECA_9962115##Tanzanian giants Simba SC and Young Africans SC are in the CAF Champions League, while Tusker, Singida and Uganda’s Kitara feature in the Confederation Cup.