NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 20 – Sweden-based midfielder Timothy Ouma has joined up with the Rising Stars squad that heads to Malawi for a three-nations tournament on Thursday.
Ouma, who has previously been a call up to the senior team, has been asked to play with the junior side, to gain more playing time and boost his chances of scaling up. He was part of the team that played a friendly match against the Talanta Hela All Star Team at Kasarani on Tuesday evening, in what was his first session with the team.
“He has just arrived and we want to assess him more. I spoke to him and he informed me that the are just from pre-season and the league is set to start. Hopefully he is fully fit and if he is, he will be a very crucial addition to the team,” head coach Salim Babu told Capital Sport.
He adds; “We have not had some very good stability in midfield and if he is in good condition, then he sorts out most of the problems.”
The team has been training in Nairobi for the past one week ahead of the tournament, and Babu will have only three foreign-based players in the team; Ouma, midfielder Stanley Wilson and defender Faiz Ouma.
Aldrine Kibet and Amos Wanjala, based at the Nastic Academy in Spain, as well as striker Luis Ingavi, who is based in the USA, are not part of the squad. Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba disclosed that they opted for the three to link up with the Under-19 Talanta All Star team that will be in Spain for a two-week training camp.
The U20 national team beat the Rising Stars team 3-1 in the friendly on Tuesday. Linus Munyao scored the opener for the Rising Stars after 10 minutes with a beautiful first time effort off a cross on the right.
AFC Leopards’ youngster Christopher Koloti then headed home Ezekiel Omuri’s corner in the 20th minute to give the team a 2-0 lead at halftime.
Robert Mutie then made the most of a defensive lapse to halve the deficit for the Talanta All Star team when he ran on to a through ball before slipping it past the keeper.
Sigmunn Maina however scored from the penalty spot late in the second half, to seal a 3-1 win.
“It was great to have this friendly match just to see where we are as a team and we can use the next two or three sessions before our first game to correct and improve,” said coach Babu.
The Talanta All Star team was handled by Stanley Okumbi.
