NAIROBI, Kenya, January 6, 2025 – Harambee Stars midfielder Boniface Muchiri has urged youngster Kelly Madada and James Kinyanjui not to rest on their laurels after earning their first caps for the national team.
Muchiri believes the duo should not stop at their maiden appearances but work hard to earn more opportunities in the side.
“For the young lads who earned their debuts…Kinyanjui with a goal and Kelly, this is a stepping stone. They should not get comfortable…they should be humble and continue working hard. For me, that is the most important thing…this is not the end, it is just that they are starting their careers in the national team. They should keep on working hard so they can get more opportunities to represent the country,” the Ulinzi Stars player said.
The two were among debutants in Harambee Stars’ 1-1 draw with Burkina Faso in the opening match of the Mapinduzi Cup at the Gombani Stadium in Zanzibar on Saturday night.
Kinyanjui started the match, putting Harambee Stars in the lead at the cusp of halftime.
On the other hand, Madada replaced the injured Kenneth Muguna in the first half before making way in the second half.
Both players have been pivotal for their respective clubs in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League.
Kinyanjui has formed a formidable partnership with Francis Kahiro at Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), assisting a majority of the latter’s eight goals as the bankers sit pretty at the top of the league.
Meanwhile, Madada has been wowing Ingwe faithful with his bravery and wizardry on the ball, having started earning regular game time under coach Fred Ambani.
The duo will be hoping to continue their great run in Stars’ next encounter against Tanzania at the same venue on Tuesday night.
Thinking back to their performance against Burkina Faso, Muchiri is confident of building upon it.
“It was a very good performance that we can be proud of. The boys gave a 100 per cent. The most important thing to understand is that if we keep improving in this competition, then we can grow and move forward as a team,” he said.
A few tweaks to their game and Muchiri is bullish about their prospects against the Tanzanians.
“Despite the result, it is a good start and shows us the direction we need to go. We also know where we went wrong. That is football…if you accept the weaknesses you are able to work on them and come back stronger. The mood is really upbeat and we are focused on the next game,” he said.
In Monday’s encounter, Burkina Faso pipped Zanzibar 1-0 to climb atop the standings with four points.
