Courtesy of the Kenyan Premier League
Harambee Stars arrived back home in Nairobi on Monday evening following their well received 0-0 draw with Zimbabwe on the artifical turf of Harare's Rufaro Stadium on Sunday.
The 2010 World Cup/African Nations Cup qualifiers first round return leg brought out the adventurous trait of young Kenya coach, Francis Kimanzi who when faced with withdrawals due to injury and suspension showed a steely resolve that saw him make some radical selection choices and survive in the crucial away match.
A point to add to the Kenyans' 2-0 defeat of Zimbabwe in Nairobi on June 14 puts the Harambee Stars in good stead to enter the final round of the African zone qualifiers.
Kimanzi, the 32-year-old first-time Harambee Stars coach showed his bold side when he drastically changed his defence after an opening 1-2 loss to Namibia in Windhoek, dropping regular fullback Ibrahim Shikanda and replacing him with rookie Anthony Kimani,a bold step considering the calibre of the star Guinea forwards Pascal Feindouno and Ishmael Bangoura. After a 2-0 win the coach kept faith with the starting XI, parading them against Zimbabwe in the following match and he got another resounding 2-0 win.
However, this battle proved to expensive, goalie Arnold Origi and midfielder McDonald Mariga missed the Harare encounter through injury. Czech based forward Patrick Oboya received a second yellow card that also saw him miss the Harare tour. Kimanzi was forced to make more radical changes, giving a late recall to Andrew Oyombe, who incidentally is Dennis Oliech's elder brother and starting with Kevin Ochieng' and Francis Ouma. Goalie Noah Ayuko got his first cap.
Kimanzi demonstrated he was doing nobody other than the team any favours. The coach realised he had taken a bit of a gamble for the not-very-fully-match-ready Oyombe. Kimanzi did not leave Oyombe on much further than a few minutes after the first 45 replacing him with Osborne Monday.
The coach's tactics also clearly showed a massive reshuffle. The ferocious pace of attack in the previous two Nairobi matches was abandoned and the team settled for clever tactics enabling them to live through a torrid time brought on by a rampaging Zimbabwean offensive. The three-match-old Kenyan defence combination looked like veterans as they staved off waves of attacks from the Zimbabwe hot shots Benjamin Mwaruwari, Gilbert Mushangazhike and long range bomber Esrom Nyandoro.
These were circumstances that would have left many an old head in a daze but Kimanzi lived through it to say after the match: "We were very lucky to come off with a point but we are quite happy with that."
The Harambee Stars now have time to regroup, nurse their wounds and prepare well for remaining two matches in September - versus Namibia in Nairobi and October - away to Guinea. Victory over Nambia would qualify the Kenyans leaving them under no pressure at all in the trip to Conakry.
"We shall have a good opportunity now to listen to the coach and his assistants so that we can address any issues they have had in the recent days," said Kenya Football Federation (KFF) chairman Mohamed Hatimy. But the KFF boss will be hoping that more assistance from outside the federation, for example from the Government and the corporate world, will come through to bridge the deficit incurred by the Kenya Premier League (KPL) Limited, the company that has been underwriting all the expenses of managing the Harambee Stars.
The team was accompanied to Harare by Assistant Minister of Youth and Sport Kabando wa Kabando and the entire contingent will hope that the Minister was able to witness first hand the many hiccups faced by the team.
Kimanzi's men have demonstrated great strength of character. Sadly, this can only get them so far. Skilful players will take them further. However massive support and interest from outside the playing arena can propel them to the ultimate prize; passage to next year's second round and finally a place in the World Cup finals to be hosted by South Africa in 2010 or the Nations Cup to be hosted by Angola.
A happy Sports Minister Hellen Sambili was at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to receive the arriving Harambee Stars and said: "We are very proud of you. In the villages...everywhere in this country people are proud of you," she said while accompanied by Assistant Minister Wavinya Ndeti and Sports Secretary Daniel Maanzo. It was government presence that many in the football fraternity will translate in increased support for sport in general and football in particular.
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