Under 23 team set to leave for Botswana

Kenya Under-23 captain Robinson Kamura (left) leads teammates their training session for the Rio Olympics qualifying match against Botswana on April 21, 2015 on Friday April 24, 2015. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • The team is scheduled to hold its last training session Wednesday morning at the Moi International Sports Centre
  • Seven will be dropped before the team leaves for the first leg tie.
  • The match will offer the youngsters a platform to state their case ahead of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers

The national Under 23 football team leaves the country Wednesday evening ahead of their Rio Olympics qualifying match against Botswana at the Lobatse Stadium on Friday.

The team is scheduled to hold its last training session Wednesday morning at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani after which head coach Bobby Williamson will name the final travelling party.

Team Manager Simon Mulama on Tuesday told Nation Sport that they will be seeking to “come out with the best possible result” from this tie.

“We have been training hard and I believe that everything is possible. This is a very good avenue for our boys to grow, and I am sure that we shall post good results,” he said.

A total of 27 players were drafted in Williamson’s provisional list, and seven will be dropped before the team leaves for the first leg tie.

France-based youngster Louis Misiko (OGC NICE) and Antony Mbugua (Apoel Tel Aviv, Israel) joined others on Monday morning at the team’s residential camp in Kasarani alongside KPL players who had been excused for the weekend to honour their respective club duties.

Bandari striker Masoud Juma has been ruled out of the match due to injury, but the Gor Mahia duo of Michael Olunga and Timothy Otieno, as well as Sofapaka’s Enoch Agwanda will be in contention for a place in Williamson’s list of strikers.

David King’atua, Victor Ndinya (both Bandari), Danson Kago (Sofapaka) and Tairus Omondi (KCB) will be hoping to make the cut in the list of midfielders.

REARGUARD

David Gateri (Bandari), skipper Robinson Kamura (Mathare United), Charles Odette (Posta Rangers), Brian Birgen (Ulinzi) and Collins Shivachi (Sofapaka) will most likely to form the rearguard while Robert Mboya (Mathare) and Ian Otieno (Posta Rangers) are the two goalkeepers who have been in training.

The match will offer the youngsters a platform to state their case ahead of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers where Kenya has been drafted in Group E alongside Congo Brazzaville, Zambia and Guinea Bissau.

“They may be inexperienced but I know that the more they play together the better they will be and if they can beat Botswana then that will confirm that they are well capable of taking on our Afcon opponents,” Williamson said.

The return leg will be played on Saturday, May 9 at the Nyayo National Stadium.