KAMPALA, Uganda, Dec 13 – Bandari FC winger Abdallah Hassan says he is yearning to fight for a place in the senior national team after starring so far at the 2019 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in Kampala, Uganda where he has scored two goals in as many matches.
The Bandari FC winger scored Kenya’s lone goal in the 1-0 win over Tanzania on match day one and stepped off the bench to score the equalizer in the 2-1 win over Sudan in the second Group A match on Tuesday.
Speaking to Capital Sport the winger says he will keep working hard at the tournament and hopes he can do enough to convince head coach Francis Kimanzi to hand him more chances after only managing a handful substitute appearances for the senior team.
“I am ready to step up if the coach gives me a chance I am ready. I want to work harder in this tournament to show that I should get that chance. Before the tournament the coach told us that this is our platform to prove ourselves so that we can be considered for the AFCON qualifiers next year,” stated the midfielder.
He added; “I have never scored a goal for the national team and it gives me so much joy that I have scored two so far. It is not the end, but a challenge for me to keep working and hopefully score more in the remaining games.”
Having failed to get off the group phase of the club competition with Bandari earlier in July, Hassan says he is determined to right the wrongs and win a regional title with the national team.
“It will be a huge achievement for me and the team. We came here as the defending champions and we have to go home with the trophy intact. That is our primary objective,” noted the winger.
Stars will finish off their group phase matches with a tie against Zanzibar on Saturday afternoon and will only require a point to finish top of Group B and set up a semi-final tie against the team that finishes second from Group B.
But, Abdallah says the team will be going for victory against the islanders in what will be a repeat of the 2017 final where Kenya won on penalties after a 2-2 draw in regulation time.
“We need to keep our winning momentum to top the group and we will not relax in this match. They are a good team and they are also looking for a win to qualify so we know it will not be an easy match,” added the winger.