NAIROBI, Kenya, January 7 – Saturday’s international friendly between Harambee Stars and Cameroon has been shifted to Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani.Football Kenya Limited (FKL) secretary general Thabit Mohamed said on Thursday that the Cameroonians were not comfortable with playing at Nyayo National Stadium due to the ban imposed on it by FIFA.
“Cameroon said that were concerned about the ban and the distance from their Windsor (Golf and Country Club) base,” said Mohamed.
Mohamed said that 23,000 match tickets will be sold at Kasarani on match day.
“Tickets for the main stand will be sold at Sh300 while those for the terraces will be sold at Sh100. I encourage fans to turn up in large numbers to enjoy this match,” said Mohamed.
The Indomitable Lions are currently being taken through their paces at Kasarani by coach Paul Le Guen and will use Saturday’s encounter to gauge their preparedness for the Africa Cup of Nations that starts on Sunday in Angola.
The four time African champions are in Group D alongside Tunisia, Gabon and Zambia.
Meanwhile, Stars captain Julius Owino said that the match will give the local based players much needed exposure since they will up against world class opposition.
“A match like this gives the young guys a chance to show what they can do against those players (Cameroon) and perhaps draw interest from foreign clubs not necessarily in Europe but within East and Central Africa,” said Owino.
“We’re not really worried about the result. What we want is to go out there and reproduce what we have been doing in training because it will prepare us for the future,” he added.
The Gor Mahia stalwart says that the fixture’s shift from Nyayo where they have been training to Kasarani will not alter his team’s mindset.
“Whether the match is at Nyayo at Kasarani, we are at home. I personally prefer Kasarani because the ground is perfect,” he added.
Stars keeper Wilson Oburu is looking forward to facing three time African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto’o.
“Its great to come up against players with supreme talent because it gives us a chance to learn something new from them and I’m sure they will take some positive from us,” said Oburu.
“We are not intimidated by who we are up against. The coach has told us to just go onto the pitch and prove a point,” added last season’s Kenya Premier League (KPL) Keeper of the Year.
