Harambee Stars goalkeeper Noah Ayuko is mobbed by fans upon the team’s arrival from Harare, last evening. Picture by Saidi HamisiCourtesy of The Standard
Harambee Stars coach, Francis Kimanzi has regretted striker Denis Oliech’s suspension from the next match against Namibia after his second yellow card in Harare, Zimbabwe at the weekend.
Addressing journalists at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after the team arrived on Monday, Kimanzi said: "We would have wished to have him for the next match but we still have players who can do the job against Namibia."
Stars retuned home with guarded optimism of qualifying to the next round of the 2010 World Cup/Africa Nations Cup following their 0-0 against Zimbabwe.
Kimanzi paid tribute to the Stars, but challenged the Kenya Football Federation and Kenya Premier League to keep the team together ahead of the remaining two matches in September and October.
"We will sit down with the technical bench to review the performances and plan ahead. Our defenders and most of the midfielders are based at home. Only strikers play abroad, but if we can have a proper programme of training it would benefit the team," said Kimanzi.
The team broke camp, but would reassemble next week to prepare for a friendly tie against Malawi in Lilongwe.
Harambee Stars, who are now second behind Guinea in Group 2 on goal difference, play Namibia in Nairobi on September 6 and in Conakry, Guinea, on October 10.
Kimanzi paid tribute to the Warriors, but bemoaned poor officiating, which he blamed on the loss of Oliech.
Elsewhere, Zimbabwe’s leading daily, The Herald, said their national team is in danger of failing to qualify for the second round.
In Monday’s headline titled, ‘Warriors in Trouble’, the State-owned newspaper said, the team will need to move mountains to keep alive their fading qualification hopes.
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