NAIROBI, Kenya, June 21- South Africa based David Gateri and Brian Mandela as well as Belgium Germinal Beershot forward, Johanna Omollo are the only foreign based players in head coach Adel Amrouche’s final 22 line-up for the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup that kicks off in Zambia next month.
Kenya has been invited for the event as guests with Amrouche a largely home-based team packed with players involved in the recent 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Malawi.
Gateri missed both matches with injury having excelled in the March 23 1-1 draw against the Super Eagles in Calabar, Nigeria while Mandela was a fixture in defence in the recent qualifiers where Kenya lost 1-0 at home to the African champions before forcing a 2-2 draw away to Malawi.
Kenya will be appearing in their first COSAFA Cup tournament, a valuable chance for Amrouche to work with his team in a major tournament ahead of the regional CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup at the end of the year.
Stars are drawn in Group B and will face Lesotho, Botswana and Swaziland. Should they advance out of the pool they will meet Angola in the quarter finals and they open their campaign against Lesotho in Kitwe on July 7.
SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Duncan Ochieng, Wilson Obungu, Jerim Onyango
Defenders: Mulinge Ndetto, David Owino, David Ochieng, Brian Mandela, Jockons Atudo
Midfielders: Mohammed Musa, John Mwangi, Edwin Wafula, Peter Opiyo, Francis Kahata, Edwin Lavatsa, Teddy Akumu, Collins Okoth
Strikers: Johanna Omolo, David Gateri, Jamal Mohammed, Ali Bhai, Aboid Omar, David Seda
