NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 23 – National football team Harambee Stars will kick off their four-nations tournament campaign against hosts Malawi at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, on Saturday evening.
The team has had two light training sessions since arriving on Thursday, and will look to put in a good performance, with coach Engin Firat set to try out new personnel with injuries hampering the squad.
The team will be without an experienced left back with Eric ‘Marcelo’ Ouma ruled out with injury while Abud Omar was dropped from the squad in the 11th hour alongside Eric Johannah due to an alleged physical altercation between the two.
This means that Gor Mahia’s Geoffrey Onyango, the only left back in the team, will have an opportunity of earning his first national team cap.
With Joseph ‘Crouch’ Okumu and Daniel Anyembe also just returning from injury, it might be another opportunity for the coach to try out new faces in defense, with Alphonce Omija, in his first call up, potentially set to line up at the start.
Among new faces that might be given a shout in the game include Tusker FC’s Chris Erambo, AFC’s Kaycie Odhiambo and Gor Mahia’s Shariff Musa.
Captain Michael Olunga has rallied his teammates to ensure they put in a good show and says the game gives the team a chance to prepare well ahead of the World Cup qualification matches against Ivory Coast and Burundi in June.
“This is going to be a good platform for preparation if you look at the calibre of teams we will play. Zambia and Zimbabwe are really good teams which compete at the AFCON every edition. Malawi are the hosts and will definitely pose a good challenge for us,” Olunga says.
He adds; “If we dream of playing in the big tournaments, we have to always try and compete in foreign soil and not just play, but compete to win and get a good result which is important.”
The forward himself has faced a difficult period over the last few national team games, and the fact that he is just returning from a two-month injury lay off does not help matters, but says he is ready to show what he can do.
“As a player of course when you are laid off because of injury, it is always a difficult moment. But I am delighted that I have returned and the last few games have been good with the club and I have scored some goals so hopefully I can continued in that same form again,” says Olunga.
